'We fear Princes Street will end up like Leith Walk'

City centre residents say the city risks repeating the mistakes of the past

Photo by Alex Tai on Unsplash

It’s one of the most stunning and photographed high streets in Europe – and it is changing.

Consultations on city council proposals to improve Princes Street and Gardens have run into opposition from not one but all three of the city centre community councils who have told the Inquirer: “We fear that it’ll end up like Leith Walk, with too much of everything and very few trees.”

As retail changes in the face of online shopping and competition from “edge of town” retail parks, Princes Street in the 21^st century continues to be an enigma. What, exactly, is it for?

Sitting at the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage site, for years it has been the city’s main shopping street, a major travel corridor, and a hugely popular tourist destination, with a unique vista of Castle Rock and the Old Town. However, on the surface, Princes Street appears abandoned to the fate of all other British shopping high streets. Empty shop fronts, unkempt streets - not what New Town designer James Craig would have ever imagined.

Yet the reality is that while empty stores and scaffolding hints at a street under pressure – the street, unlike other principal high streets in Scotland, is enjoying pretty rude health. The scaffolding is a sign of progress, as empty units are being brought back into life, including the huge renovation of Jenners. Footfall in 2024 was, most of the time, above the Scottish and UK average. New restaurants and bars are opening, and of course around £1 billion is being invested in new hotels.

The city council’s consultation on the future of “Princes Street Valley” aims to build further on its reinvention as a place that is as much about hospitality as shopping. While Princes Street is doing better than other British high streets, it’s undeniably in need of a face-lift. The council’s strategy promises many positive things that you might expect in any modern city; attractive pedestrianised areas, wheelchair access to the Gardens, refreshed paving.