Our values in our hands
Guiding principles for becoming our best Edinburgh
To create the city that our residents desire, everyone must take to heart the principles of our city vision and incorporating them into their day-to-day lives, business operations and future planning.
To build Edinburgh’s bright future, our institutions and our citizens will pledge to embrace three guiding principles:
Community led – power and responsibility for change will be shared with citizens, thanks to voluntary changes from all sectors. Community representatives will have a place at the table and will be given the opportunity to drive change.
Cohesive – a sense of togetherness and open communication is essential in helping us all work together to create a bright future for Edinburgh.
Collaborative – ensuring we are all included in decisions about Edinburgh and its citizens is key. Our sectors are varied and valuable, we’ll foster ways to help them complement each other.
Thriving City
Clean, Green , Sustainable
Our consultation found that what residents consider most important is for Edinburgh to be clean, green, sustainable and litter-free. People want to live in a city where they know the air is clean and that there are plenty of green spaces for them to enjoy.
* Are there any elements of your organisation that could be more sustainable?
* What are the small steps you could take now to be greener?
* Are you currently taking any steps or actions towards being net-zero carbon
Welcoming City
HAppy, safe, healthy
Edinburgh is nothing without its people and a happy city is a healthy city. While 95% of residents already love living here (Edinburgh People Survey, 2018), liveability featured prominently in resident feedback on the vision, especially safety, happiness, being welcoming, accessible and having good employment, education and public transport. Edinburgh residents’ response to the covid-19 pandemic has been caring and compassionate and these values are central to our 2050 Edinburgh City Vision.
* How do you welcome outsiders to your business or organisation?
* Putting yourself in the shoes of an outside to your organisation, would you feel welcome in your business?
* What do you do to keep people in your organisation happy, safe and healthy?
Pioneering City
culture, data, business….
Edinburgh has always punched well above its weight on the world stage, evolving through the centuries to become a beacon of enlightenment and hope, of innovation and inspiration. We have a strong creative and tech sector in our city with a high number of start-ups and enterprising organisations.
* What area of your organisation is ripe for innovation?
* Have you changed anything? Where did the change come from, and did it work? Can you apply the same thinking elsewhere?
* Looking at how Edinburgh is developing, are there opportunities to push into new areas of business?
Fair City
Inclusive, Affordable, Connected
Edinburgh is a successful city but that is not shared equally, and poverty is a key challenge. A great city commits to sharing in its success and improving the wellbeing and life experience of all its residents. This was a strong theme in the city vision findings, with responses calling for an inclusive, affordable, diverse and connected city. This is the city that we need to build as we recover from the pandemic, and the Edinburgh Poverty Commission will play a big part in this.
What to consider
Is there anything you can do to make your organisation a fairer place?
What small or big steps could you take (or are you already taking) to help those that are more vulnerable?
Be inspired
Discover inspiring commitments that have already been made Edinburgh’s businesses, and learn how you and your organisation can become a 2050 Edinburgh Charter member too.
Five stage self-assessment
Next Steps
Hopefully, you now have some ideas about how your organisation can embed the 2050 Edinburgh City Vision principles and how you can play your partin making Edinburgh the place our residents want it to be in 2050.
Self-assessment – estimating the current impacts of your organisation on the city
Core business – looking at those areas where you take most action and have most control
Partners – relationships with people and organisations
Community – civic and social roles and responsibilities
Commitment –based on your own assessment, agreeing what you will do