Placemaking

Place-based interventions have huge commercial and social value, fostering a sense civic pride and making the city a place people want to spend time in, and placemaking projects – whether short-term seasonal pop-ups or longer-term interventions – have always been a core part of NE1’s strategy.

Early placemaking projects in NE1’s first term saw the installation of a number of “pocket parks” – including St. Nicholas’ Square at Newcastle Cathedral and the Chinese Garden on Stowell Street – encouraging people to linger longer in iconic areas of the city, and were supplemented by a series of seasonal pop-up projects in 2018 including the Grey Street Gathering and temporary closures of Blackett Street for Family Fun Weekends.

In 2021, NE1 commissioned the world-renowned renowned place-makers Gehl Architects to consult local businesses, residents and key city centre stakeholders on their hopes for Newcastle’s Quayside which subsequently became a major focus for NE1’s placemaking activities. Colourful dichroic seating and Porch Swing seats were added to the east of the Millennium Bridge in 2021, and semi-permanent artistic installations including a striking design by French artist Florence Blanchard on the King Street stairs, and a 90 metre-long pavement by local street artist Mul at Wesley Square were added in 2022 – the latter of which has been updated each year since with designs by Dutch artist Oflines and most recently by acclaimed graphic artist Andy Welland.

In late 2022, NE1’s placemaking activities ramped up considerably with the creation of a dedicated Placemaking Project Manager role, leading to further Quayside place-based interventions – including the multi-functional Play Pavilion structure, and NE1’s renowned Relaxation Stations making a long overdue and welcome return, both in 2023. More recently, a new pocket park utilising two of the porch swings and 14 large planters was created under the High Level Bridge, NE1’s first major placemaking intervention west of the Swing Bridge.

Beyond the Quayside, NE1 has initiated placemaking projects that celebrate and elevate other unique quarters of the city. In 2023, Grainger Gardens was introduced to the space between Grey’s Monument and Grainger Market, joining nearby fellow pop-up green space Grey Street Gathering, and the summer of 2024 saw both the installation of over 920 lanterns spanning the length and breadth of Stowell Street in Newcastle’s Chinatown, and the United Together mural at Marlborough Crescent, created in collaboration with Sail Creative to celebrate the area’s LGBTQIA+ community.

Placemaking remains a key focus for NE1 in the coming years with projects in the pipeline for areas including the 55 Degrees roundabout and Pink Lane. NE1 will continue to work collaboratively with businesses, residents and key stakeholders to ensure these projects add positively to the experience of living in, working in and visiting the city.