And while many other UK cities seem to favour destruction over regeneration, mercifully, architectural conservation is treated as a priority in Scotland’s capital.
We've trawled through the photo archives to bring you a dozen iconic landmarks around Auld Reekie that have found a new lease of life.
9. Edinburgh Printmakers, Fountainbridge
For years the lone remains of the once vast North British Rubber Factory at Castle Mills in Fountainbridge lay derelict and unused. Three years ago Edinburgh Printmakers moved in, transforming the handsome brick building into a modern art studio. Photo: Photographer: Scott Louden
10. General Post Office, Waterloo Place
In 2003, one of the largest facade retention projects in Europe got underway when Edinburgh's former G.P.O. was gutted out leaving only its 150-year-old shell. It is now an office complex named Waverley Gate. Photo: CATE GILLON
11. Former State Cinema, Leith
Pictured is an artist's impression of the new luxury housing development at the former State Cinema in Leith. The 83-year-old building's auditorium has been demolished, but the iconic art deco frontage is being restored. Photo: Contributed
12. Johnnie Walker Princes Street
One of the most recent examples of an Edinburgh landmark that has found an exciting new use, the former Frasers department store at the West End was transformed into a world-class whisky tourism hub by Johnnie Walker. Photo: Third Party