Sir Patrick Geddes Memorial Lecture 2024
Patrick Geddes is widely regarded as the founder of modern town planning. His interest in the natural sciences led him to a professorship at Dundee University in botany, after which he developed his interest in sociology and planning. He lived most of his life in Edinburgh during which he established the Edinburgh Social Union, promoted a wide range of sympathetic redevelopment and conservation schemes the length of the Royal Mile, largely for university residential accommodation, founded a publishing company, founded the Franco-Scottish Society, became a major sponsor of the arts, developed summer schools, promoted international festivals, and published seminal texts such as "Cities in Evolution".
He also spent time in India as Chair in Sociology at Bombay University, prepared a plan for the Hebrew University at Jerusalem and finally retired to France where he founded the College des Ecossais in Montpellier. He was knighted in London in the year of his death.
Every year RTPI Scotland holds a Commemorative Lecture to advance Geddesian thinking and to stimulate debate and discussion on key planning issues. The 2024 lecture was given by Kevin P. Gilday, an award-winning poet and performer from Glasgow.