The story so far…

In 2016, Edinburgh began a conversation about its future to create a shared vision for 2050 and, since then, almost 70,000 voices have played their part in creating it.

Just before the COVID pandemic struck in 2020 - the biggest challenge in our lifetimes - we embarked on the largest ever consultation of its kind to ask the people of Edinburgh what they want from their city and what they want it to look like in 2050.

They told us they wanted it to be welcoming, thriving, fair and pioneering.

One city, one team

The pandemic was the biggest challenge in our lifetime. It was a challenge that we faced together, as one city and one team. As we adapted to the circumstances it brought about, our City Vision and its principles played a central part in how we renewed our city, and how we will continue to do so.

We can reflect that Edinburgh has always been a city of innovation and change and the last thirty years have been no different. In the early 1980s Edinburgh was a city with population in decline, facing a changing economy and significant social health challenges.

When we started our conversation about a city vision in 2016, we were a successful city with a quickly growing population, a strong economy and an excellent quality of life that was recognised across the world.

Whether it is increased inequality and pockets of severe deprivation that were amplified by the pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, or the growing pressure on our city infrastructure and environment, we know that now more than ever our city needs to adapt and change if Edinburgh is remain a great place to live, to work and to visit.

The vision principles

The vision’s guiding principles will become – and indeed are already – the building blocks of the city that we want Edinburgh to be. For these to have the impact we hope for, we must continue to incorporate them into our day-to-day lives, business operations and future planning.

A city is nothing without its people. It’s crucial now that we can come together to make the Edinburgh’s city vision a reality, and with that, build an Edinburgh that we can all be proud of in 27 years’ time.

There is so much more to come for this city and, by staying true to our 2050 Edinburgh City Vision, we can build a better Edinburgh for us all.