Edinburgh 2050: It's fantastic that voices of the young are being heard

Aaron Bolton, 20, is a Year of Young People Ambassador

This year is the Year of Young People (YOYP), in which Scotland has come together to celebrate those between the ages of eight and 26. The 2050 Edinburgh City Vision project provides a great opportunity for young people to put forward their vision for the Edinburgh of 2050.

As a young person living in Edinburgh and a YOYP Ambassador, it’s fantastic to know the voices of young people are being listened to seriously.

In fact, the first thing I wish for Edinburgh in 2050 is exactly that – for young people to continue to be listened to, respected, and valued when it comes to how the city is shaped.

The city’s culture is hugely important to me, and Edinburgh is already one of the culture capitals of the world, but I think an area we can improve on is the ability to attract big musicians and acts all year round, not just in August. I feel that as we don’t have a purpose-built concert arena, we are often left off the touring schedules of many of the world’s biggest artists and I hope that this is something that can be remedied, making Edinburgh an essential stop on world tours.

By 2050, I hope the city will have further developed opportunities for careers for young people in the media and broadcast industry.

With BBC Scotland and STV based in Glasgow, I hope we can work together to attract more major broadcasting jobs to the capital.

The Year of Young People is giving Scotland’s youth a platform to showcase their talents and ideas, to try and change the stereotypes that exist around young people. Some ambassadors have been organising events such as youth festivals, while others have been lobbying parliament and raising funds for good causes.

It’s been so inspiring to be part of the Year of Young People, and it makes me realise how important it is that young people submit their visions for the future of Edinburgh. It’s a chance to bring about real change and ensure Edinburgh can offer everyone who lives here the opportunities they deserve.

There are already many great things about Edinburgh. The bus and tram routes make it easy to get around and make the city centre accessible for those who live further out of the city.

The parks and the city centre itself are also very well looked after and I think there is a real effort being made to make sure that the environment is clean and pleasant.

But the best thing about Edinburgh is its people. And we, the young people of Edinburgh, are its future citizens. So we need to make the most of this opportunity to ensure we contribute to making a city that works for all of us.

Don’t miss your chance to shape our city. Submit your City Vision at www.edinburgh2050.com

Aaron Bolton, 20, is a Year of Young People Ambassador.