Donald Anderson: Ten surprisingly positive things about Edinburgh – that’s Progress

I wondered what Progress would say about Edinburgh if it looked at life here, so here’s ten surprisingly positive things about life in Edinburgh.

Deutsche Bank produces a ‘Quality of life index’. Edinburgh is placed tenth and is the highest ranked UK city. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto

1. Edinburgh has had the lowest Council Tax of Scotland’s main cities for 23 years saving an average Band ‘D’ taxpayer over £1000. Edinburgh council also has the lowest debt per head of any major Scottish city.

2. Edinburgh is the cleanest city in Scotland. This is becoming a fiercely contested position but despite many cuts in funding, cleansing levels are improving. Edinburgh faces a tough fight to retain its place. You can help by binning your litter.

3. Everyone knows our parks are good. Using the best measure there is - parks with Green Flag status - we’ve nearly half the Green Flag Parks in Scotland. What you might not realise is that our parks are kept clean by an army of 85 active Friends groups that organise regular clean ups and other activities.

4. Edinburgh made history by becoming the first place in Britain to introduce a Visitor Levy that makes a direct link between tourists and local improvements, with cash already spent on improving cleansing and more police.

5. Edinburgh’s tourism industry is among the world’s best. Edinburgh delivers nearly 60 per cent of all international visits to Scotland and brings in nearly £7.4 billion in spending. That gives us more shops, pubs, restaurants, theatres, jobs and other facilities than any city of half a million would normally have.

6. Despite planning controversies, people in Edinburgh like new buildings and public spaces. In 2018, the council’s ‘People’s Survey’ asked those who had seen developments in their area if those buildings or public spaces ‘improved the overall appearance of their neighbourhoods’ - 67 per cent said yes. In the city centre 70 per cent said yes.

7. Edinburgh has the best public transport outside London, and Edinburgh’s trams and buses are the only UK city transport that runs at a surplus. Not only do our buses make money, but the trams more than cover their running costs. Edinburgh trams and buses deliver 131.5million passenger journeys, nearly half as many journeys again as Scotrail carries.

8. Edinburgh has the lowest unemployment of Scotland’s four main cities – 2.9 per cent. Forth Ward has the highest unemployment rate at 4.6 per cent. That is lower than London’s. London is one of the wealthiest cities on the planet but has higher unemployment than every part of Edinburgh.

9. Edinburgh’s strong economy boosts wages. Average weekly earnings are the highest of Scotland’s main cities at £819.80. Not everyone is well off, but there are better chances to earn more in Edinburgh.

10. There’s no definitive list of the best places to live in the world, but Deutsche Bank does try and produces a ‘Quality of life index’. Edinburgh is placed tenth and is the highest ranked UK city.

You don’t need me to tell you that Edinburgh’s not perfect. There are lots of problems and issues to resolve, but our city’s an amazing success. We just need to keep making it even better.