For 102 years, an airport runway in Scotland witnessed the likes of The Beatles, Marlene Dietrich, and a slew of British Supermarine Spitfires touching down on its tarmac. But the airstrip, which began as just a humble line of grass, retired in 2018, and the plot of land is now moving onto its next mission: helping to solve the housing crisis in Edinburgh.
It had a good run (no pun intended) — but after a brief intermission as a VIP car parking lot for the Edinburgh Airport, the 72-acre site previously housing the airstrip is set to become a vibrant community with over 3,000 homes as well as shops, office space, a school, and an 11-acre urban park. Called Elements Edinburgh, the $1.3 billion project proposed by Crosswind Developments was approved by city council on Dec. 18.
“Elements Edinburgh is a world-class regeneration development, transforming a disused brownfield site into a thriving community,” chief executive of Crosswind Developments John Watson said in a June statement. “It is a place where people can live, work, and relax in a modern, sustainable, and inclusive environment.”
The new community will help the city reach its goal of building 9,500 new homes by 2029. The target was established after Edinburgh declared a housing emergency in Nov. 2023 amid 7,000 homeless individuals requiring temporary lodging, with 1,300 of them living in “unsuitable” accommodations, per the city council.
“By declaring a housing emergency, we hope to draw widescale attention to an issue that demands urgent and united action,” councillor Jane Meagher said in a statement at the time. “Every single person deserves a warm, safe, and affordable place to call home and we can address this, if we act now.”
By incorporating one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments and townhouses, with over 1,000 allocated as affordable options, Elements Edinburgh is hoping to encourage inclusive and intergenerational living. And developers say its 500,000 square feet of planned commercial space will generate more than 4,000 jobs.
The community also plans on being “car-lite,” one of the ways it’s aiming to align with Edinburgh’s goal of having net zero emissions by 2030. Plus, 46% of the land will consist of green space, including a park with access to nearly 6 miles of walking and cycling routes.
“Our vision is to create a sustainable, inclusive community that enhances west Edinburgh and benefits future generations,” said Crosswind Developments project director David Kelman in a recent press release.
The development “takes traditional Edinburgh … a high-density city with good open spaces … into the 21st century,” said councillor Neil Gardiner, per a statement following the recent approval.
RELATED: The “Huge Potential” of Turning Abandoned Malls Into Much-Needed Housing Across the US
Share to:
