The ‘2050 Edinburgh City Vision’ will encompass the diverse needs of the city, ensuring it continues to thrive as a great place to live, work and visit over the next 30 years.

A city-wide engagement campaign will run until December, inviting all other interested parties to share their vision for the future and unlock creative potential for collaboration across all sectors. A draft document will be produced based on the responses received before being refined, agreed and published next summer.

Anyone who lives, works or studies in the city can join the conversation by answering the following three questions at the Edinburgh 2050 webpage and on social media (@edinburgh) using #Edinburgh2050.

The City of Edinburgh Council’s chief executive, Andrew Kerr, launched the initiative to a 100 strong audience made up of delegates from all corners and sectors of the city.

He said: “As Scotland’s capital city, we have much to be proud of and positive about but we need to start thinking seriously about what we want Edinburgh to look like in 10, 20, even 30 years’ time .

“A City Vision for Edinburgh – based on the true aspirations of people of all ages who live, work and study in the Capital - will provide all of us with a clear, long-term plan to guide strategy and investment for years to come.

“We’re starting with a blank canvas. This will not be a council vision, rather our role will be to facilitate and support citywide collaboration and debate. I want to ensure we take new approaches and make new partnerships now to ensure Edinburgh addresses the challenges of the future, remains the envy of the world and offers a great quality of life in decades to come.”

Other speakers calling for a united vision for Edinburgh in 2050 included pupils from Portobello High School and former BBC journalist and Book Festival chair Allan Little. The audience heard from Cortex CEO Peter Proud, Mel Young from The Homeless World Cup and Graham Hill of ARCADIS, who launched their new ‘Sustainable Cities Index’.

John Donnelly, chief executive of Marketing Edinburgh, added: “Over the last thirty years Edinburgh has been a city of innovation and change, the vision for the next thirty years is now in all of our hands.

“This is an incredible opportunity to shape our city – from the community, economy and environment. It urges you to question what makes Edinburgh so special, set your horizons on a better city and share your thoughts on what the Edinburgh of 2050 should be.”

Specific workshops, projects and activities will take place to reach schools, community, minority and interest groups across the city.