The 19th century saw an unprecedented rate of urban expansion. In 1801 Edinburgh had approximately 80,000 residents. By 1901 the population had risen to over 390,000. The population of the capital continued to grow during the early 20th century, although at a much slower rate, reaching about 460,000 in the 1950s. However, during the late 20th century total population figures for Edinburgh remained relatively stable (Dennison 2018, 399). The pace of change in smaller towns was less rapid, although 19th century growth was still significant. For example, Dalkeith grew from a population of about 3,700 in 1801 to around 6,800 at the start of the 20th century (Dennison 2018, 399).
Urban elites had grand ambitions for the improvement and expansion of their communities. Some of the most extraordinary plans were associated with the expansion of Edinburgh – which, despite its reputation as a Georgian city, saw far greater growth during the reign of Queen Victoria. Yet smaller towns also saw the transformation of their streets and the construction of new suburbs, often in diverse architectural styles. This process has already received significant attention from researchers, but many aspects of the planned urban expansion of the 19th century do still merit more research and recording.
In many towns, the rapid rate of population growth placed extreme pressure on local accommodation. There is reason to believe that overcrowding probably increased, at least during the first half of the 19th century. Many excavations have taken place in Edinburgh’s Old Town and in the heart of other burghs. For understandable reasons publications of these investigations often place more emphasis on the earlier history of these sites. However, the 19th century finds are also to assessing living conditions, and in particular helping illuminate the extent to which working class living standards deteriorated with industrialisation.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw significant efforts to improve living standards in urban areas. The Edinburgh Improvement Scheme of the 1860s was a notable first step in a long journey towards providing clean and less crowded working-class urban housing (Dennison 2018, 225). However, such schemes often involved elites dictating that working families would be moved or cleared from certain areas. Our records about these processes disproportionately reflect the perspective of the authorities, and the archaeological record may provide some opportunity to provide a more varied perspective on the ways in which so-called ‘slum clearances’ were experienced.
Although urban population growth was limited during the 20th century, the space occupied by housing grew dramatically. Both private and social housing developments adopted the ‘garden city’ model, and numerous developments were laid out relatively spaciously, with significant amounts of gardens and green areas. Many of these schemes had homes which were heavily influenced by English and Scandinavian architecture. However, some planners sought to integrate elements of Scottish vernacular architecture into 20th century housing projects – examples of this can be seen in some of the housing in Hawick near the Motte. Many 20th century houses are currently undergoing significant change, as efforts are made to adapt these buildings to 21st century requirements. Now is therefore a key moment for recording these sites.
Urban Settlement Research Questions
- What can we learn about migration to and from towns during the modern period? How did immigration affect towns in South East Scotland during the modern period?
- How did growing industrialisation impact towns in South East Scotland?
- To what extent did the 19th and 20th centuries see a growing separation between workplaces and homes?
- How have perceptions and realities of social class affected town planning in the region? To what extent did different socio-economic groups become more spatially separated during the modern period?
- What can we learn about the development of suburbs? To what extent was suburban development planned?
- How did life in small towns compare to life in major urban centres? What distinctive trends and experiences can we find in small towns?
- What can we learn about the provision of utilities (e.g. gas, water, sewage management)?
- How did street furniture change over the modern period?
- How much variety was there in living standards in urban areas?
- What can we discover about vernacular architecture in urban communities?
- What can we learn about tenements and other forms of communal dwellings?
- What can we learn about the development and design of social housing over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries?
- What can we discover about the so-called ‘slum clearances’? How did patterns of clearance and redevelopment change over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries?
- What can we discover about waste and derelict properties in towns? What factors lead to dereliction during the modern period?
- How did gardens and green spaces within and immediately adjacent to urban areas change during the modern period?
- What can we learn about the development of allotments in the region?
- How did the design of educational establishments change during the modern period?
- What can we learn about the changing use and design of libraries?
- What can we discover about the development of civic buildings during the modern period?
- What can we learn about public monuments? How has their design and purpose changed over the modern period?
- What can we learn about crime and punishment?
- What can we learn about fires, floods and other crises? What safety measures were put in place to prevent fires? How did these change over the modern period?