http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh/Makeover-for-unsafe-and-unfriendly.6648409.jp Makeover for 'unsafe and unfriendly' Princes St Premium Article ! Published Date: 03 December 2010 By BRIAN FERGUSON DESIGN gurus called in to help revitalise Edinburgh city centre have told council chiefs to curb the number of buses on Princes Street and reduce car parking spaces on George Street. Pavements would be widened, new cycle lanes created and side streets given over to festival venues under plans to help the heart of the capital better compete with out-of-town shopping centres. The consultants have urged the council to relax strict planning laws to allow cafes, bars and restaurants to be created along Princes Street after branding the thoroughfare "unsafe" at night and an "unfriendly" environment during the day. Gehl Architects, the firm credited with turning Copenhagen into one of the world's most pedestrian-friendly cities, were hired to advise the capital after senior officials said they wanted to explore ways of curbing traffic congestion and boosting trade for businesses. The company, which has been credited with transforming New York's Times Square, has delivered a damning verdict on Edinburgh city centre after being asked to carry out a "health check". It has proposed removing buses from Princes Street for months at a time, cutting dozens of parking spaces on George Street, encouraging shops to open much later in the city centre and holding special events on Princes Steet to coincide with buses being removed. One of the firm's directors told The Scotsman Princes Street in particular had "huge potential" but was being let down by the number of buses allowed to use it, the lack of space for pedestrians and the lack of activity when the shops shut down. David Sim, a Scot who studied architecture at Edinburgh College of Art, said parts of Princes Street, Rose Street and George Street had been left to decline to a condition that would never be allowed at out-of-town centres, such as the Gyle. • Case study: Wonderful Copenhagen puts pedestrians first The architectural practice - which has helped create pedestrian-friendly areas in Beijing, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Cape Town, Stockholm and Oslo - was paid £25,000 to carry out an initial study. It was ordered after the council's former design champion, Sir Terry Farrell, criticised the local authority for a lack of action during his five-year tenure. He said attempting to enact change was like "trying to make a planet change its course". Mr Sim said: "Princes Street is effectively Scotland's high street and should be a flagship for the whole country but it is a disappointment. Our research found there had been a 50 per cent drop in the numbers of people going there over the last ten years. Page 1 of 2 Next Page » * Last Updated: 03 December 2010 1:18 AM * Source: The Scotsman * Location: Edinburgh ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Case study: Wonderful Copenhagen puts pedestrians first Published Date: 03 December 2010 By BRIAN FERGUSON THE architectural practice advising Edinburgh has been widely credited with transforming the fortunes of Copenhagen, regarded as one of the world's great pedestrianised cities. Local architect Jan Gehl founded the firm more than 40 years ago, when Copenhagen was notorious for cars, traffic jams and pollution. Today, it has the longest pedestrianised street in the world, Stroget, and has a claim to be the world's most bike-friendly city. Many streets are pedestrian only, while others see pedestrians and cyclists given priority over vehicles. The city established new bike lanes and extended existing ones. Currently around a third of Copenhageners who work in the city cycle to work. Copenhagen embarked on a major drive to cut the number of parking spaces. About 600 spaces were cut between 1986 and 1996. Outdoor cafés, public squares, and street performers attract thousands in the summer; while skating rinks, heated benches, and gas heaters on street corners make cold winters enjoyable for townsfolk and tourists. Page 1 of 1 * Last Updated: 02 December 2010 8:55 PM * Source: The Scotsman * Location: Edinburgh