Campaigning for Edinburgh

A fascinating glimpse into the changing face of Edinburgh, showing the city as it was, might have been, and is.

In 1849 Henry Cockburn asked: what will Edinburgh look like in 1949 or in 2049? He inspired Britain’s first amenity society – the Cockburn Association – the city’s civic watchdog, which, since 1875, has campaigned to protect and enhance for future generations the unique features that make Edinburgh ‘Edinburgh’.

Campaigning for Edinburgh tells that story: one of active stewardship, showing how citizen involvement can, and should, be key to the planning, development and management of places.  The book also looks forward, imagining what the city might be like in 2049.

Like Cockburn himself, the Association has been passionate about green city spaces, the conservation of historic buildings, and Edinburgh’s unique vistas and dramatic skylines. Generations of volunteers have given their time and talents to resist intrusive advertising, elevated motorways, the destruction of the Old Town, and overtourism.  Edinburgh’s future rests on their legacy.