Old Town in need of a new approach - Scottish Architecture News

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Old Town in need of a new approach

Archiseek / UK / Scotland / News / 2006 / May 23

Artist's Impression

The Old Town is Edinburgh's single most important asset. This might be debatable, but if one grants that Edinburgh Castle is in the Old Town then it becomes undeniable. Apologies to the rest of Edinburgh but while other areas might be "up-market", "bohemian" or "revitalised" they are ultimately nothing more than helpful racoons to the Old Town's giant panda (I do know that pandas are not officially racoons but they ought to be). Given this importance it is only appropriate that any development in the Old Town should be subject to appropriate analysis and discussion. Unfortunately it often seems that proper discussion gets walled in by a siege mentality on both of the all-too-apparent sides. So it seems with Caltongate. I should declare two interests. Firstly I have lived in the Old Town for ten years. Secondly I was head of marketing for Bluewater, Kent, in its crucial pre-opening phase; probably the most successful - architecturally and financially - shopping centre to be built recently in the UK.

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