The Scotsman

Edinbugh's a great place isn't it? Of course - but not all of it. There are, we all know, some very special places, such as Marchmont, the Meadows, the High Street and Old Leith. And there are some that have gone seriously wrong, like the junction of Princes Street and Lothian Road or Picardy Place - which have some great architecture, but are lousy places. A great place is about how much people use it and enjoy it - whether they pass hurriedly through or stay a while. Good urban places are not about how efficiently cars move about or how shiny the new buildings are. Good places are often densely populated, are safe and clean, have some well-used public space, and a mix of buildings, big and small, public and private. And the traffic is kept in its proper place.