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.
- the Active Travel Action Plan: how we are going to encourage more people to travel on foot and by bike more often.
- Public and Accessible Transport Action Plan: what we will do in relation to public transport infrastructure, information and integration.
- Bus Network Review
In response to these ambitious plans, the city has delivered key projects, including:
- Low Emission Zone (LEZ), a low vehicle emissions zone within the city centre.
- Trams to Newhaven, an extension of the Tram network
- Walking, wheeling and cycling routes which include:
- connecting communities across the city centre.
- Roseburn to Union Canal, providing a safer, green connection with facilities for the local community
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.
Consultation and engagement
February and March 2021
Engagement with key groups, which informed .
October to June 2022
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.
November 2023 to February 2024
We asked for your views on the proposed designs for the cross streets, .
Timeline
1998 “Public Spaces, Public Life” published
2011 “Public Spaces, Public Life” refreshed
2013 The Council approves “Building a Vision for the City Centre”
2014-2015 New layout and operating arrangements trialed on George Street
2016-2017 Consultation on initial design concepts for George Street
Oct 2017 study area widened to include First New Town streets
2018-2019 Concept design development – ongoing stakeholder and public consultation
Oct 2020 - Feb 2021 Stakeholder engagement to inform final concept designs
Feb -Mar 2021 Public information material issued for final concept designs
March 2021 Local business and resident engagement
April 2021 Council and Sustrans committees
August 2021 Council Transport and Environment Committee
September 2021 Detailed design commences
3 Nov 2022 Council Transport and Environment Committee Stage 3 Design proposals.
2023/2025 Stage 4 - Technical design
Construction start date is programmed for September 2027 subject to securing funding, statutory orders and permissions, and approval from councillors.
Read more about the timeline and history of the project.
Funding
In June 2025, at the end of RIBA Stage 4 Technical design, construction costs were updated and estimated at £35 million for the full design scope.
Funds were initially secured from Transport Scotland through the Sustrans Places for Everyone programme in 2019, allowing us to develop the designs and carry out engagement.
Between now and spring 2026, best routes for investment will be defined and agreed. This could include contributions from both external funders and Council capital funds.
George Street and First New Town