2050 Edinburgh City Vision: Here's how to get a free coffee for your thoughts

Edinburgh residents will be offered a free coffee next week in exchange for sharing their thoughts on what their city should be like in 2050.

Steven Hedley from Brew Lab. Pic: Chris Watt

Marketing Edinburgh have today announced the launch of ‘Coffee For Your Thoughts’, in a bid to encourage locals to share their views on how the city should look in the future as part of the 2050 Edinburgh City Vision campaign.

From Sunday, residents can ‘pay’ for their drink at three local coffee houses simply by offering an opinion on how the Capital should flourish in the years ahead.

How to get a free coffee

Coffees can be redeemed in exchange for visions in store at Brew Lab on Sunday, November 25th – though a limited number are available while stocks last, so locals are advised to get in quick.

Those who don’t have time to sit in should keep an eye out for the 2050 Edinburgh City Vision street team in the The Meadows area of Edinburgh on Wednesday 28th, and in The Gyle Shopping Centre on Thursday 29th. The team will be exchanging visions for vouchers for a coffee to be used at Thomas J Walls and Project Coffee.

2050 Edinburgh City Vision

The 2050 Edinburgh City Vision project aims to reach everyone who lives in Edinburgh, combining their views to create the final ‘city vision’ – and complimentary coffee is just one way people are being engaged.

So far, residents have been given a whirl in a ‘taxi to the future’ - exploring the possibilities for Edinburgh in 2050 via a GPS map, given the chance to apply for a dream job as a futurist and invited to share their views quickly and easily on the website – www.edinburgh2050.com – via on-street advertising, social media activity and dynamic billboards.

John Donnelly, chief executive of Marketing Edinburgh, said: “Edinburgh loves its coffee, and our local cafes are alive with people meeting up with friends to share good conversation and spark ideas.”

“We want to speak to every resident in Edinburgh directly to get their views on what should happen next in their city. Most visions have been coming through our website, but it’s important to speak to people in person too – and what better way to do that than over a brew!”

Tom Hyde, co-founder of Brew Lab, said: “Since setting up the business six years ago, we’ve tried to ensure we’re looking to the future, to keep ahead of the curve.

"We source our coffee with Union Hand-Roasted Coffee, with sustainability and fair deals for farmers at the heart of everything they - and we – do, so it’s been reassuring to see that a fairer, more eco-friendly, and sustainable Edinburgh is an emerging trend from the 2050 Edinburgh City Vision campaign

"We want to encourage as many people as possible to share their thoughts, and if you can get a free coffee at the same time, even better!"