The lost vision for Edinburgh's 'new New Town' where pedestrians walked above the cars

It was to be a ‘new New Town’ for Edinburgh, where pedestrians could walk above the cars on new elevated streets and a large swathe of the South Side was cleared to make way for modern housing and shops to be reached without even having to cross a road.

In the early 1960s, Edinburgh University came up with a bold new vision for its expansion with plans driven by the ‘optimism’ of planner Percy Johnson-Marshall and architect Robert Matthew, both who lectured at the institution and who believed in the power of their professions to make life a little better for all.

Under proposals, the area between George Square and Nicolson Street would be completely cleared, removing a large area of 19th-century tenement housing, with the area completely rebuilt. The separation of cars and pedestrians was at the core of the design.