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Fantasy Island

PICARDY PLACE TIMELINE

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Frustration about Picardy Place congestion and the charmless new ‘Fantasy Island’ at its centre ignited on social media over the weekend.

Over 50k X users viewed Spurtle’s brief attempt at positive thinking and later observation that sitters in the space are obliged to face outwards towards the traffic rather than inwards towards some unimaginative planting.

SUNSHINE ON PICARDY

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The state of Edinburgh’s public realm in general and Picardy Place in particular have come in for a lot of criticism lately.

As an experiment, we wondered whether a mix of sunshine, poetic perspective and positive thinking might change the way we feel about Broughton's newly created Fantasy Island.

See what you think.

OH JOY, IT'S A GYRATORY

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Proposals for a new gyratory on Picardy Place were approved at a meeting of the Transport & Environment Committee this morning. Councillors voted in favour by 9 votes to 2, with only the Scottish Greens against.

What follows is an impressionistic summary of the main points. For local-government enthusiasts whose Netflix subscriptions have run out, the whole meeting is available to enjoy here for free.

Deputations

FINAL PLANS FOR PICARDY PLACE?

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New Picardy Place proposals emerged today in a report going before the Transport & Environment Committee on 25 January.

They may be the last.

The changes partly fulfil what the public asked for in the extended consultation process before Christmas, which drew around 1,000 responses from Edinburgh stakeholders and residents. 

The 34-page report lists key features of the revision as:

THE LONG VIEW ON PICARDY PLACE

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Trevor Davies, formerly Edinburgh Council's Planning Convener  (2003–2007) and now  Honorary Professor of Urban Studies at Glasgow University, has been rather quiet of late about Picardy Place. Today, he breaks his silence. 

Let’s take a step back 

It is Edinburgh’s topography, its built heritage and its status as capital city that have attracted the skills and learning and investment which together make our city prosperous and of worldwide renown.