Your neighbourhood

About Edinburgh's City Centre neighbourhood

Edinburgh’s city centre faces a unique set of issues and pressures within Scotland’s capital city.

The Neighbourhood Partnership area has a residential population of around 23,000 people, spreading from Abbeyhill in the east, to the city’s West End and Tollcross areas.

It also covers the world-famous areas of the Old Town and the New Town and is contained within the UNESCO World Heritage site.

This enhances the city’s reputation as the second most popular tourist destination in the UK, outside London. The quality of its heritage buildings, its unique natural environmental setting coupled with its prominent cultural, business and leisure/entertainment facilities contribute significantly to the wealth of the rest of the city.

To safeguard this position, it is essential that the elements that contribute to the quality of life and appearance of the city centre for those who live, work, study or visit are protected and enhanced.

The city centre is home not only to the Queen but also to the Scottish Parliament. It is host to numerous festivals, events and celebrations, and is the focus of 3.5m visitors every year. It is the public face of the capital.

The city centre attracts more than 250,000 people over any given weekend and, at the busiest week in December 2007, more than 440,000 people passed along Princes Street and George Street.

It is also host to over 300 public houses, 102 off sale premises and 51 entertainment venues…all of which places considerable pressure on a very small part of the city, making its night life and 24-hour economy an important facet of city centre life.