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Inspiring Capital? Deconstructing myths and reconstructing urban environments, Edinburgh, 1860–2010

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 May 2013

REBECCA MADGIN
Affiliation:
Centre for Urban History, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7QR, UK
RICHARD RODGER
Affiliation:
Centre for Urban History, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7QR, UK

Abstract:

‘Inspiring Capital’ is the sign that confronts visitors and residents alike at the boundaries of the Edinburgh administrative area. It is a consciously ambiguous message of self-promotion: the logo proclaims the dual standing of the city of Edinburgh as a European capital city and a city of international capital. The article uses a long-run approach to explore how, by inventing and nurturing a myth about Edinburgh as a non-industrial city, councillors and planners privileged the ancient and historical character of the city and so conditioned policies associated with urban renewal and land use.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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