The future of Edinburgh? Our series asks the big questions

The Herald Scotland

03-06-2025

Frequently when we think of Edinburgh, we think about its past. But at the Herald, for our latest series, we have chosen to look towards its future - for how it rises to the challenge of a growing population in a world in which tourism, climate, energy supply, how we shop, spend our leisure time, build our homes, are all changing, is crucial.
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In a love letter to "work of art" of a city, on this first day of the series, author Alexander McCall Smith, lists its special landscape qualities and architectural wonders, but also notes, 'Edinburgh risks being hollowed out by tourist-focused developments and by the mushrooming of student accommodation.'
'A concomitant of these trends,' he writes, 'is the destruction of its character as a real city, and its replacement as a Disneyfied conglomeration of bars, German markets, and big wheels. A tartan nightmare, shallow and garish, is just round the corner unless the sheer volume of tourist traffic is tamed.'
The series also kicks off with a deep dive into how and whether Princes Street, once a jewel in Edinburgh's crown, and former buzzing shopping street, can be effectively reinvented.
Lead writer on the series, The Herald's Edinburgh correspondent, Donald Turvill, in 'How Princes Street lost its crown — and might win it back', tells the story of how the street is being revitalised after being hollowed-out by a 'perfect storm' of loss, as department stores, from Jenners to Debenhams, dropped away, with an accompanying interactive map.
Edinburgh's Princes Street (Image: Colin Mearns) Does it risk, as former chair of the Cockburn Association, Cliff Hague, has put it, 'transforming into a corridor of mid-market hotels, global fast-food chains, and uninspired retail, with diminished upper-floor activity'?
Or is the future as Roddy Smith, chief executive of Essential Edinburgh, describes, very much about 'mixed use hospitality, hotels' bringing life back into the street?
Donald looks at the big ideas that look set to shape the street over the years to come - from the draft strategy for the area to leading architect Richard Murphy's response . 'You can't tinker,' says Murphy, 'it has to be rethought completely. The trouble is with Edinburgh, people hate that approach. They just get so frightened about everything."
But Edinburgh is about more than its city centre and attractions, and Donald also today looks at what the City of Edinburgh Council is doing to make sure that in a city that is set to grow by over 60,000 residents over the next 20 years makes sure no one is left behind.
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'We've got a growing city, we've got a successful city and we've also got a city that faces a huge number of challenges,' says council leader Jayne Meagher. 'If we are going to continue to grow as a city, for obvious reasons we need to make sure that we can provide enough places for people to live. It's as simple as that.'
Another jewel in Edinburgh's crown has been its vibrant arts festivals, which draw 4 million visitors to the city each year and are considered to be worth £500 million to its economy and over the coming days arts correspondent, Brian Ferguson, looks at the financial health of the world's biggest festivals - and the vital signs are.
Francesca Hegyi, chief executive of Edinburgh International Festival (Image: Gordon Terris/Herald & Times)
Francesca Hegyi, chief executive of Edinburgh International Festival, reveals to Brian that there is a multi-million pound gap in its spending plans. And, in an exclusive interview, the new head of Festivals Edinburgh, Lori Anderson, warns the festivals are at risk of 'stagnation' unless they can attract new investment.
Brian also talks to Tony Lankester, chief executive of the Fringe Society, who reveals how the financial model behind the event is on the brink of 'collapse' due to the impact of soaring costs in recent years.
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This growing city, brimming with visitors, and congested with cars, also needs to move people around and we will also be looking at how its transport system can adapt to enable residents and visitors to move around – from cycle paths to buses and bikeshare schemes.
Trams are at the heart of many of the plans for low emissions travel, and with a new line, from North to South, soon to go under consultation. The city still bears some of the emotional scars of the first (over-budget and over-deadline) tram build, and, as today's articles by Vicky Allan show, a backlash is already brewing against a proposed version of the new route.
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How can Edinburgh give space to cyclists, motorists, bus and tram passengers, without creating conflict, and whilst keeping people safe and healthy?
But these articles are just the start. Our Edinburgh series will offer so much more than this, with stories about what it's like as a first-time buyer in the Edinburgh housing market; how the Leith Docks film studios are doing five years on from their creation; what impact the new visitor levy is likely to have on the city; the Michelin star reinvention of Leith; how Edinburgh's new culture quarter is shaping up on its waterfront; the radical proposal to relocate Edinburgh's modern art gallery; if a proposal for pedestrianisation of George Street can be saved; whether the 4.5 day school week is working for Edinburgh children and parents.
The series also includes stellar writing – whether it's from Scottish Press Awards features writer of the year, Kevin McKenna, literary phenomenon Michael Pedersen or much-loved Scotland Street author Alexander McCall-Smith.
"Edinburgh," said visual arts promoter Richard Demarco, "belongs to the world". But really it belongs to the people who live there, and its future is being written in their imagination right now. At The Herald, we want to be part of sharing that story.
Join us for the full series, and more, by subscribing to the Herald today.