Why Edinburgh should be stripped of its Unesco world heritage status — theguardian.com

It’s easy to see why Edinburgh, one of Britain’s most beautiful cities, is a magnet to visitors from across the world. It is also a place that instils pride and affection in those, like myself, who are native to it. Yet, this is a city that consistently undervalues its best asset: its historic centre. It seems remarkable that Edinburgh’s unique architectural character should be at risk. It was the largely unspoilt juxtaposition of Old and New Towns that persuaded Unesco to grant it world heritage status in 1995. Yet the destruction during the 20 years since poses an interesting question: is Unesco world heritage status worth the paper it’s printed on?

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