Edinburgh has an ambitious agenda for change, for a healthier, thriving, fairer and compact capital city with a higher quality of life for all residents.
The George Street and First New Town Public Realm Improvements Project reflects this bigger vision for the city. It has been developed over a number of years, with extensive consultation, and in response to a range of key city plans including:
City Centre Transformation: an ambitious 10-year strategy and delivery plan that seeks to provide a people-focused city centre, which is a desirable place to live, work and visit.
City Plan 2030: the new Local Development Plan for Edinburgh which will set out policies and proposals for development in Edinburgh between 2020 and 2030.
City Mobility Plan2021-2030: a ten-year strategy that sets out proposals to transform the way people, goods and services travel around the city.
Roseburn to Union Canal, providing a safer, green connection with facilities for the local community
Watch the animation about the proposals for George Street.
Consultation and collaboration
The proposed plan for George Street follows several years of development and engagement to refine design objectives with residents, businesses and stakeholders, including community councils and heritage, business, walking, cycling and accessibility groups. Read about previous consultations and what they told us.
We will deliver improvements as part of a coordinated package of projects under Edinburgh City Centre Transformation. This includes the Meadows to George Street and City Centre West East Link schemes, which will transform walking, wheeling and cycling routes and connections across the city centre.
Engagement with key stakeholder groups including Spokes, Living Streets, Edinburgh Action Panel, Essential Edinburgh, Edinburgh World Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland, New Town and Broughton Community Council and George Street Association to develop final Stage 3 design proposals.
March to June 2022
Engagement with residents and businesses in George Street and the First New Town to help us prepare the an updated operational plan. This focussed on what travel will look like on George Street and other key aspects such as blue badge parking and deliveries.
The project has a total estimated capital cost of £36million with investment secured from Transport Scotland via Sustrans Places for Everyone programme.
It is one of most significant walking, wheeling and cycling projects in Scotland, receiving the highest level of funding through the Sustrans-led Places for Everyone (formerly Community Links Plus) fund.
Funds were initially awarded in in a multi-year agreement in 2019, allowing for the development of detailed and technical designs and progress to construction.
Funding for the project is ‘ring fenced’ and provided through Scottish Government specifically to construct ambitious projects which make it easier for everyone to travel actively.
George Street and First New Town