Images reveal what Edinburgh could look like in 100 years, including Royal Mile and Victoria Street

The vision shows a monorail above shops on Victoria Street and trees on the Royal Mile.

Edinburgh’s skyline is one which is recognised around the world, with old structures like the Scott Monument to the newer St James Quarter.

But how different will the city look and feel in 100 years? Experts in Artificial Intelligence teamed up with the People’s Postcode Lottery to set out a vision for what’s in store for the Capital over the next century. There are plenty of major developments in the pipeline that will make their mark and change the city – everything from a 1,000-set concert hall in the New Town to a new distillery in Leith.

But stunning photos of the city re-imagined show the biggest changes to the city could see futuristic developments come to Edinburgh. The most out-there idea shown in one image is a monorail travelling over shops on Victoria Street.

A monorail and tunnels with plants above shops

The vision for the Royal Mile is slightly less bizarre, with the image showing more trees and what appears to be an outdoor seating structure. Experts said this vision shows the ‘growing need’ for more leisure space on busy city centre streets.

Experts were asked their views on the insight into what the future may look like to discuss how realistic the scenes are and how likely they are to come true.

Chris Lawson, managing director and senior designer at CK Architectural said: “The Edinburgh AI creations are a nice example of the growing need for more leisure room in crowded cities. If there’s enough width to do it, it can add a lot of new space for retail, enhance the street appeal and give a platform for further greenery. This would bring a welcome change to the area and certainly enable the future of sustainability to begin to grow in urban areas.

“This change needs to happen alongside maintaining the existing architecture, which is essential for any developing city’s character. The AI creations do seem to be plausible and tick many boxes, albeit oddly styled with a slightly retro feel to it.”