Princes Street and the Waverley Valley

Closes 21 Feb 2025

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D. Princes Street’s public realm and mobility

The section sets out how Princes Street will better support walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport users in the future.

It sets out how we could deliver improved pavements and public spaces with rest places, and better access to West Princes Street Gardens.

The proposals take forward actions agreed in our City Centre Transformation plan and aligns with projects across the city centre street network, including George Street and Meadows to George Street.

Read what City Centre Transformation and Future Streets say about Princes Street.

City Centre Transformation

Edinburgh’s City Centre Transformation Strategy (ECCT) approved in 2019, promotes a vibrant and people focused capital city centre which seeks to improve community, economic and cultural life.

As part of a renewed city centre, ECCT identifies a series of Catalyst Areas including for Princes Street and the environment around Waverley Station. Key actions include to:

  • enhance the pedestrian experience, to improve crossings and seating, and to create a people focussed place.
  • strengthen links between George Street, Princes Street and Princes Street Gardens
  • optimise bus routes through the city centre, including a city centre hopper bus, to improve operational efficiency and create a more balanced pedestrian environment
  • create a pedestrian plaza at Waverley Bridge, supporting a transformed entrance to Waverley Station

Future Streets

Our Future Streets (Circulation Plan) is a citywide framework agreed in 2024 against which the Council will deliver street space allocation to support sustainable travel and placemaking.

Future Street’s City Centre Circulation Plan defines Princes Street’s functions as having a priority for place, to create a better environment for shopping, walking and wheeling alongside its role within the primary public transport network for bus and tram.

Future Streets identifies Queen Street and George Street as part of the city’s Primary Cycle Network. The west end and east end of Princes Street are also identified as part of the Primary Cycle Network to provide cycle connections from the New Town to Lothian Road, Waverley Bridge and North Bridge.

The remainder of Princes Street is not part of the Primary Cycle Network, as such segregated cycle lanes are not proposed on Princes Street between Charlotte Street and St David Street.

16. New public seating areas

New public seating areas are proposed along Princes Street to

  • improve existing spaces
  • create places to rest, socialise or enjoy the views
  • enhance the street’s historic setting

Seating areas would be set back from the busy pavement, overlooked from the surrounding area, and designed to be quick to deliver.

We would like to hear your feedback on the design ideas for each of the new public seating areas.

(Space 1a at the West End will be designed as part of the City Centre Transformation plan’s Lothian Road project)

Space 1b Castle Street

Space 1b Castle Street

Castle Street’s existing pedestrian zone provides a framed view of Edinburgh Castle and is used for markets and events. The south end next to Princes Street also provides for street trading. This proposal would extend and upgrade the space, provide new bench seating and re-arrange street trading stances to open up the space for everyone.

To what extent do you support or oppose the following?
17. Space 1c The Mound Precinct

Sketch view of proposed new public seating area at The Mound Precinct.

The Mound Precinct is a large paved space next to the National Galleries, with access to East Princes Street Gardens and links to the Old Town via the Playfair Steps.

As an important public space, it hosts events but outside these periods it lacks seating to enjoy its sunny aspect and views.

This project would introduce high quality seating to improve its day-to-day appeal for people. The seating would be movable to allow the city to continue to host events in the space.

To what extent do you support or oppose the following?
18. Space 1d Waverley Bridge

Sketch view of the proposed new public seating area at sketch view of Placemaking Project 1d at the junction of Waverley Bridge and Princes Street

Closing Waverley Bridge to general traffic was agreed as part of the City Centre Transformation plans to:

  • increase the efficiency of public transport on Princes Street by removing traffic turning onto Princes Street.
  • create an arrival plaza outside Waverley Station.

The bridge continues to allow cycle access, and access for taxis and services/deliveries from its south end. Bus access to Princes Street has been temporarily reinstated for construction at the Jenners development.

In the medium-term, to improve its junction with Princes Street, the northern end of Waverley Bridge would be upgraded.

This project would see the north end of Waverley Bridge prioritised for walking and wheeling, with cycle access retained to provide a safe cycle connection from George Street and the New Town to Waverley Station and the Old Town.

Cycle access to the Station from the south side of the bridge will be provided by the Meadows to George Street project.

There would be no access between Waverley Bridge and Princes Street for motor vehicles.

To what extent do you support or oppose the following?
19. Space 1e General Register House

Sketch view of the proposed public seating area and public realm improvements in front of General Register House

A wide paved area extends outside this key civic building, home to the National Records of Scotland. This project looks to improve the space east of West Register Street to link with St James Quarter.

To what extent do you support or oppose the following?
20. Overview of new public seating areas

Plan showing the location of the proposed new proposed public seating areas

The five new public seating areas are proposed at intervals along Princes Street and include:

  1. a)               The West End (part of the Lothian Road project)
  2. b)               Castle Street
  3. c)               The Mound Precinct
  4. d)               Waverley Bridge Junction
  5. e)               General Register House
21. Existing wooden benches

Photo of existing wooden benches on Princes Street's south pavement

There are many wooden benches on Princes Street’s south side, which are part of the city’s character and provide rest places but can add to crowding on the pavement. Due to busy traffic on street, the benches can be less attractive as a place to sit out for pleasure.

With bench donors’ agreement, some benches could be moved to locations such as the Gardens or nearby public spaces. The remaining benches on Princes Street could be spaced at intervals for people needing rest points, for example every 50 metres.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following?
22. West Garden Links

Illustration of the proposed West Garden Links

The Draft Strategy proposes improving access for all to West Princes Street Gardens from Princes Street by replacing two steep ramped paths with a combination of new accessible ramps and steps.

Read more about the West Garden Links

Edinburgh City Centre Transformation and the Gardens Conservation Management Plan set out the need to improve access for all to West Princes Street Gardens. The West Garden Links proposals show how this could be achieved, alongside pavement improvements on Princes Street.

The locations are aligned with Castle Street and Frederick Street to improve connectivity between the Gardens, Princes Street and a renewed George Street as well as nearby public transport and taxi services.

Two pairs of existing ramps will be modified to form accessible ramps (max 1 in 12 slope with a landing at the top and rest points along their length) and new formal stairs opposite Castle Street and Frederick Street, giving access to the Gardens' upper terrace walkway around five metres below Princes Street.

Sensitive adaptation of the historic boundary railings would be needed to provide a more generous entrance space, existing trees on the banking would be retained and garden planting on the slopes renewed.

The central set of ramps which surround the Scottish American War Memorial would be restored as an historic example and the overall layout would remain symmetrical.

Accessibility improvements in the Gardens are needed beyond the upper terrace walkway and will be addressed in the Princes Street Gardens improvement plan.

Photo of existing ramp and sketch showing how access would be achieved through a combination of a new ramp and formal steps

To what extent do you support or oppose the following?
23. Pavement improvements

Photo showing sandstone paving and table and chairs outside a cafe

The Draft Strategy proposes to improve the condition of Princes Street's pavements, replacing pre-cast paving with durable, high quality sandstone slabs.

To what extent do you support or oppose the following?
24. Walking and wheeling priorities

By proposing new public seating, ramps and steps into West Princes Street Garden and new pavement surfacing, we want to improve Princes Street’s historic setting and the experience of walking and wheeling on Princes Street.

Overall, we would like to hear what is your top priority. This will inform how we might develop the next steps of design and delivery.

Please rank in order of priority, where 1 = first, 2 = second and 3 = third

25. The East End

Photo showing Pavement congestion outside Waverley Steps and Waverley Market at the East End of Princes Street

At the east end of Princes Street, we are proposing a redesign of the street, its public spaces and transport services. This area is also reserved for expansion of the tram network to the southeast of the city and forms part of the Council’s Primary Cycle Network, linking between George Street, Waverley Bridge, North Bridge and Leith Street.

This question applies to the street space managed by the Council. Question 36 covers redevelopment opportunities for the adjacent roof terrace at Waverley Market.

As part of this future redesign, to what extent do you support or oppose the following proposals?
26. Cycling

Read information about cycling in the city centre

Extract map from Future Streets, showing the Primary, Secondary and Local Cycle Networks within the city centre

The plan above is extratcted from our Future Streets interactive map

Our Future Streets: a circulation plan for Edinburgh is a citywide framework agreed in 2024 against which the Council will deliver street space allocation to support sustainable travel and placemaking.

Future Street’s City Centre Circulation Plan defines Princes Street’s functions as having a priority for place, to create a better environment for shopping, walking and wheeling alongside its role within the primary public transport network for bus and tram.

Future Streets identifies Queen Street and George Street as part of the city’s Primary Cycle Network. The west end and east end of Princes Street are also identified as part of the Primary Cycle Network to provide cycle connections from the New Town to Lothian Road, Waverley Bridge and North Bridge. The remainder of Princes Street is not part of the Primary Cycle Network and, as such, segregated cycle lanes are not proposed on Princes Street between Charlotte Street and St David Street.

In recent years, the Council has carried out improvements to improve tram and cycle safety, including the use of cycle early release signals, improved road layouts at junctions and road safety awareness campaigns.

A review of the West End junction layout will be delivered as part of the Lothian Road project.

Diagram showing the existing layout of Princes Street alongside an alternative layout including cycle segregation

The Draft Strategy follows principles agreed by Future Streets. It does not propose segregated cycle lanes on Princes Street, with the exception of the east and west ends of Princes Street to join up the primary cycle network.

Before developing the Princes Street proposals further, we want to make sure this is the right decision for the city. We could add segregated cycle lanes on Princes Street, however to do this we would need to reduce the amount of space for  walking and wheeling on the north pavement next to the shops.

This would narrow the pavement width by 2.5m to provide for a two-way segregated cycle lane and require buses to be served from floating bus-stops.

To what extent do you support or oppose the following?