Work begins to transform historic junction in Edinburgh's Southside into pedestrian-friendly space
‘This is a moment we have been working towards for nearly two decades’ - Sarah Drummond
Community campaigners on Edinburgh's Southside are celebrating as their 19-year dream of turning a traffic island into the heart of a new people-centred civic space starts to become a reality.
The long-awaited implementation of a traffic regulation order at The Causey, the historic triangular street space at the junction of West Crosscauseway and Buccleuch Street, will see a change in the road layout to reduce through traffic, making it a more pedestrian-friendly area.
The campaigners say it is the first step in a transformation that will create a space that "genuinely prioritises people - both locals and visitors alike".
The Causey Development Trust has been pressing for the change ever since the late architect Alison Blamire recognised the potential of the site and dramatised it by transforming the traffic island into a temporary tropical island for one weekend in May 2007.
Ms Blamire also gave the place its name, The Causey, from the ‘cassies’ or ‘causeys’ - the cobbled setts that paved Edinburgh’s earliest streets, likely quarried from nearby Salisbury Crags.
It is sited within the Southside Conservation Area, on the edge of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site, and is framed by two historic churches - the B-listed Chapel of Ease and the towering Buccleuch and Greyfriars Church.
Through years of community engagement, weekly ‘Sit Oots’ on the traffic island, light projections, cycling events and persistent advocacy, the campaigners have built a broad coalition of local residents, students, visitors and city councillors around a shared vision of a pedestrianised public space hosting arts and community events, connecting Holyrood Park and The Meadows, and drawing visitors beyond the boundary of the World Heritage Site.
But it has been a long road. The order that allows the road changes was approved in 2022, but funding problems and squeezed council budgets delayed any action until now.
Sarah Drummond, chair of the Causey Development Trust, said: “This is a moment we have been working towards for nearly two decades. The community has always known that The Causey could be something extraordinary - a place for people, for culture, for connection and community events - and this first phase is proof that the case has finally been heard.
"We are enormously grateful to everyone who has supported us, from the Causey Steering group, Southside ward councillors and others from across the political spectrum, to those who have shown up on a Saturday morning, or simply believed that a traffic island could become something much more."
Now the trust is hoping money from the Capital’s new Visitor Levy will fund the completion of the project to make the transformation permanent.
Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “I recognise the strength of feeling surrounding The Causey and welcome the fact that we’re seeing progress.
“These changes will help people get around easier, whilst making the area safer. I’m looking forward to seeing these plans develop over the coming months and wish the Trust all the best.”