Town Planning
A medieval city
Following the Union of the Crowns in 1603, and the Union of the Parliaments in 1707, the status of Edinburgh as a capital city was diminished. Initially, there was little impetus for improvement or investment. The city was still largely medieval in form, and not able to accommodate an expanding population.
A vision for the ‘New Town’
However, from the middle of the 18th century, the future of Scotland’s capital city became a topic for discussion and debate. Proposals were put forward for improving Edinburgh and creating a new district to the north.
The sources in this section highlight some of the political, social, and economic reasons behind this new drive for improvement and re-development.