Architect Richard Murphy calls Edinburgh council's Princes Street plans "hardly worth doing"

# What the council proposed

# Richard Murphy's critique and vision Architect Richard Murphy described the council plans as "very small beer" and "hardly worth doing." He presented a contrasting, more transformative proposal at a summit considering the street's future. His suggestions aim to fundamentally change the street's balance between traffic and people:

• Reduce the carriageway to one lane in each direction.
• Create much wider pavements on both sides of Princes Street.
• Add cycle lanes positioned between buses and pavements.
• Install stone planters and seats alongside buses, with continuous evergreen planting to screen lower sections of buses.
• Plant trees on the north side to create a boulevard feel.
• Remove railings to open the Gardens 24 hours a day.
• Excavate beneath the south pavement to make space for restaurants and cafes that open into the Gardens.

Murphy attributes part of the problem to transport officials' conservatism: he says roads departments are "a law unto themselves" and reluctant to accept change, which in his view prevents a more ambitious redesign that could deliver a larger economic boost.

# Council's position and constraints Transport convener Stephen Jenkinson rejected the idea that the council or transport officials are resistant to change. He said the council has "bold and grand visions" but faces financial constraints that slow delivery. Jenkinson emphasised two practical limits:

• Funding: the council must consider how to pay for major redesigns.

Jenkinson described the council's approach as needing to balance ambition with pragmatism and realism, and noted Murphy's design did not include an attached price tag, as far as he was aware.

# Where the debate stands

# Practical implications for residents and visitors If the council's plan proceeds, expect mainly surface-level improvements that enhance access and amenities but keep the street's current traffic pattern intact. If Murphy's ideas were adopted, the street could shift toward a more pedestrian- and cyclist-oriented boulevard with new hospitality space adjoining the Gardens, but that would require resolving major transport, heritage and funding issues.

# Next steps The planning committee will debate the competing visions for Princes Street. Decisions will hinge on funding availability, transport planning constraints (including the tramline), and political appetite for either a pragmatic upgrade or a more radical redesign.