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.
Sir Patrick 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.
The Sir Patrick Geddes Commemorative Lecture 2026
Every year RTPI Scotland holds a Commemorative Lecture to advance Geddesian thinking and to stimulate debate and discussion on key planning issues. The 2026 lecture will be given by Professor Juha Kaakinen and will be titled: 'The Housing Paradox - an international perspective on the housing emergency'.
Professor Kaakinen aims to provide new perspectives on the current housing crisis, along with some examples of possible solutions. He will also examine the role town planning should have in housing of the future.
You can now book your place on this year's lecture via our events page.
Previous lectures
The 2025 lecture was given by Dinah Bornat, an architect, designer and author. Her lecture focused on child-friendly planning, and was entitled 'A vision for housing: why we need child-friendly places, and how to plan for them'. Dinah is one of the co-founders of ZCD Architects, and currently serves as their director.
This year's lecture was delivered by writer, poet and spoken-word artist Kevin P. Gilday. Kevin is an associate artist with the National Theatre of Scotland, a BBC Writersroom Scottish Voice and one of Scotland’s most celebrated contemporary poets. He was recently included in the Saltire Society’s ’40 under 40’ list celebrating outstanding Scottish creative talent. Kevin's lecture was entitled 'The Poetics of Planning. How art can shape the future'.
You can watch the lecture below or read a review in this blog from RTPI member Lesley Martin.
The 2023 lecture given by Imandeep Kaur focused on regenerative civic and social infrastructure within neighbourhoods. Immy is part of a creative and dynamic leadership team who work alongside the local community to offer a bold approach to visioning, building and investing in civic infrastructure for neighbourhoods of the future.
The 2022 lecture was given by Susan Murray, Director of the David Hume Institute. Susan used her unique position to discuss how Geddes’ ideas fit within the current context for placemaking and planning in Scotland, if they can help us to tackle the challenges that we face, and if so, what is needed to support to make this happen.
Some of Susan's recent work includes A Scotland of Better Places (published in 2021) and Understanding Scotland, a quarterly analysis of people's perceptions of Scotland's economy.