Pedal, People, Play and Plants – Connecting the dots
Cycle path and park linking Roseburn to the Union Canal
How do you connect cyclists and pedestrians with a derelict bridge, an unloved woodland and a rundown park on the edge of the Western Approach? With a lot of work over the last 7 years by our talented team supporting WSP, we have knitted together engineering problems, community concerns, and ecological opportunities to produce a plan that was granted planning permission March 2021. Now the fun starts as we aim to start grading, building and planting in Autumn 2021.
The focus on play and community activities for all ages alongside the cycle path allows this project to pack a punch above its diminutive size of 3ha. Every surface is programmed from woodland glades to benefit butterflies, allotment spaces and fruit trees, alongside court sports, climbing structures, and swings, this is more than a path connecting 2 points.
To emphasise the active transport option to the stationary traffic under the Dalry bridge laser cut silhouettes of runners and cyclists attracting people up to the mini highline. As we look to a fossil fuel free society of 2030, we need to make our cities work harder by providing sustainable options for transport and food growing alongside spaces for nature and community to reconnect.
We see this project as an opportunity to connect two areas of Edinburgh and to heal the forgotten city, fractured by the roads and railway lines. We hope it also helps people find a space for recreation, play and exercise, a place to meet and make friends, strengthening the community as well as connecting it.
