What have students ever done for us? Surely Edinburgh would be a better city without them? Swathes of the city would be habitable again for families, noise complaints would slump, and traffic cones could rest easy. Vice Principal of the University of Edinburgh Professor Mary Bownes imagines what Edinburgh, and countless other UK cities, would look like without students and the universities they attend. Professor Bownes will argue for students' place in our cities, and highlight both the visible and hidden benefits they bring to civic life.