A Vigorous Institution

WALTWER STEPHEN is a former Chairman of the Sir Patrick Geddes Memorial Trust. Arthur Geddes supervised his university dissertation. Influenced by Patrick Geddes, he set up and ran for 20 years the first successful Urban Studies Centre in Britain, in Cannonball House, apex of a triangle whose other corners are the Outlook Tower and Ramsay Garden. Castlehill Urban Studies Centre was closed to make way for the Press Office for the new Scottish Parliament. aubrey manning is Emeritus Professor of Natural History, University of Edinburgh, with a long career specialising in the study of animal behaviour. He was influential in making natural history accessible by setting up 'twinning' arrangements between undergraduates and teachers and pupils in local schools. Over the last decade he has proved a popular and authoritative presenter of tv and radio series such as Earth Story, Talking Landscapes, Landscape Mysteries and The Sounds of Life.

JAMES MACKINNON is Chief Planner of the Scottish Executive.

MIKE SMALL is the editor of the online Journal of Civics and Generalism (www.patrickgeddes.co.uk) and has been researching, publishing, writing and lecturing on Patrick Geddes since 1995. His interests lie in applying Geddes's ideas through bioregionalism, communalism and direct action.

KENNY MUNRO is a freelance arts consultant and sculptor, happy to be known as a visual thinker and 'creative irritant'. His activities are diverse; working with schools, examining phosphorescent marine plankton and currently exploring international relationships between river communities in Scotland, Australia and India. Once chairman of Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop he promotes the role of the arts at the centre of every community as an empowering tool, stimulating practical cross curricular education. His sculptural homage to Sir Patrick Geddes, a granite and bronze pillar entitled 'Evergreen', can be viewed at Rodney Garden, on the river walkway in Perth.

FRANK SPAVEN studied geography with Arthur Geddes, PG's younger son, and was one of the original Patrick Geddes Trustees. As a civil servant at the Scottish Office and the first head of planning at the Highlands and Islands Development Board he was influential in public transport matters. Unsuccessful in the 'McPuff' campaign to keep the Strathmore line open, his critique of the Beeching proposals of 1963 was devastating. He was instrumental in saving the bulk of the Highland rail network from closure. To the end he was active in promoting the living legacy of Sir Patrick Geddes.

ANNE-MICHELLE SLATER is a lecturer at the School of Law, University of Aberdeen. She is interested in Geddes, as his views, exploits and endeavours regularly appear in seemingly unrelated areas of her life: a perfect example of which is the marine station at Cowie. She believes in learning by doing and gets students out of the classroom whenever possible, something of which she hopes Geddes would have approved.

SOFIA LEONARD is a Trustee of the Sir Patrick Geddes Memorial Trust. For ten years she was Director of the Patrick Geddes Centre for Planning Studies in the Outlook Tower and has an unrivalled knowledge of Geddes's works. She has travelled extensively investigating the legacy of Patrick Geddes.