Cairns, in association with CBCL of Canada formulated a framework of critical independent analysis of the City's redevelopment plans proposals. Innovative strategies considered the entire waterfront from Granton to Seafield and Portobello as a holistic development corridor. These strategies aim to realize the potential of this international Urban Coastal Corridor of immense opportunity for economic and environmental revitalisation.

The review concluded that an action program should be formulated around the concept of “Edinburgh’s Coastal Planning Corridor”. The strategies were proposed to reflect the changing economic circumstances. While extant at the beginning of the Millennium and reflective then of Edinburgh’s outstanding success in the internationalization of its financial sector, the entire problem set had to be reconfigured given revised growth expectations.