The Rt Hon Lord Provost Robert Aldridge welcomed a couple of hundred school pupils along with some representatives from local businesses to Edinburgh College on Monday, where the conversation about what Edinburgh should look like in 2050 was begun anew.
2050 Edinburgh City Vision is a conversation which began in 2016 and, after an interruption because of Covid, the Lord Provost is keen to start talking about it again. The idea is that the people who live in the city have their say about what Edinburgh might be like, and learn how to influence the policies which will make it happen.
From one citywide conversation the main principles will be embedded in planning for the future in all organisations based in the capital. It is still possible for any Edinburgh bodies to sign up to the 2050 Edinburgh Charter which will help keep the priorities of the City Vision firmly in view when making any decisions about future plans.
The words which embody this vision to date include: Thriving, Welcoming, Fair and Pioneering.
On Monday school pupils, mainly from the north of the city, were invited along to share their ideas of what they expect and what needs to be done to make it happen before 2050, and the room was full of energy and suggestions.
Many were calling for more trees, more parks and outdoor spaces, and others wanted to ensure inclusivity for all regardless of colour, sexual orientation or indeed wealth.
The school pupils from primary and secondary schools were first shown the video below and then with a facilitator on each table they all came up with their proposals and suggestions. Hoverbikes loomed large, but their desire for a cleaner greener city was obvious from the cards which they completed and handed in as well as a need for equality and more opportunities for poor people. But they are also prepared to do something about it with suggestions of undertaking litter picks themselves.
Entertainment was laid on by the Musical Theatre students from Edinburgh College and members of a women’s drumming group, part of the Edinburgh Festival Carnival. This group was funded by the new Erasmus introduced post Brexit which will enable the group to travel to Cuba, Costa Rica and South Africa.
Bridie Ashrowan, CEO of EVOC was MC, and she told the audience that the idea of the day was for the participants to bring their imagination and dreams to the exercise. She said that both the Lord Provost and the CEO of the Council, Andrew Kerr, OBE, were committed to take what “is in your imagination into reality. After today what can we do that takes your leadership into the ‘how’ to make this vision a reality?”.
The audience listened to two short speeches from the Lord Provost and the CEO of The City of Edinburgh Council, and young ambassadors from the Scottish Youth Parliament. After the table based exercise the audience was asked to share their ideas – the young people had many of those and were very keen to use the mike and tell everyone else in the room what could be done better or improved. The time flew by and suddenly it was 2.45 and everyone had to leave.
The list which the council will now pull together coincides with many of the asks that people have at local elections – pick up dog poo, plant more trees, clean up the city by offering more litter bins, make more room for bicycles on our streets, enable LGBTQ people in our society without discrimination and make Edinburgh a place for opportunity for all.
Read more on the 2050 Edinburgh City Vision website.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
