Redesigned streetscapes in Newcastle's city centre accomodate the needs of buses and pedestrians, whilst fitting in perfectly with the historical surroundings. Designed by Newcastle City Council / Gillespies.
Grainger Town has survived as one of the most complete and memorable city centres in the UK. Its graceful classical streets were laid out by Richard Grainger between 1831 and 1844 and include the magnificent Grey Street. The impressive monument to Earl Grey stands at the summit of Grainger Street and Grey Street.
This case study examines some streetscape designs on the periphery of Grainger Town. Blackett Street was part of the Grainger Town project, running east to west passed Grey's Monument, across the heart of the city centre. South of Grey Street, a set of streets continues down the steep bank of the Tyne to the Quayside. These streets are part of the Quayside transit scheme. Although not within the Grainger Town boundaries, both schemes have had a vital role in the transport network for the city centre, and both demonstrate innovative solutions for the relationship between traffic and the public realm.
Blackett Street and Quayside in Newcastle demonstrate how a committed in-house team in a unitary authority has been able to find new ways to integrate the transport and civic functions of streets in busy and historic city centre. The regeneration of Grainger Town, together with the revitalisation of the banks of the River Tyne below, has spearheaded the transformation of Newcastle as a thriving regional capital.
