UK Newcastle

Question 1

Urban greening?

Answer 1

55% of Newcastle is green space
89% of the population live 300 metres from a green space which provides recreational space, cooler and cleaner urban air
Tyne Moor is bigger than London’s Hyde Park and Hampstead Heath combined

Question 2

Housing shortage - Brownfield sites?

Answer 2

+Renovating brownfield sites remove toxic derelict sites and create modern housing and services
+creates a more aesthetically pleasing cityscape
+creates investment and jobs
+signature buildings and infrastructure (Quayside: Baltic contemporary museum, Millennium Bridge)
-clean-up work and site preparation can be expensive and take long time

Question 3

renovation of Newcastle upon Tyne’s Quayside?

Answer 3

430 million pounds of gov funds spent in total + over 1 billion in private investment
26 miles of Tyneside and Quayside renovated: 1/3 was derelict and polluted
Signature buildings: Newcastle Business Park which employed thousands, Utility Arena, Baltic Contemporary art Museum, Millennium Bridge

Question 4

Why was Quayside renovated?

Answer 4

Deindustrialization, cycle of decline, toxic derelict sites, social and urban depravation, economic burden: heavy industries such as armaments, steel, shipbuilding, etc all closed down

Question 5

Pros and cons of effects of the renovation of Quayside?

Answer 5

+helped 2000 local people find work
+25% of new houses were low-cost
+full of bars, restaurants, clubs, business centres which attract tourists and businesses, helping it get recognised

Question 6

Cons of effects of the renovation of Quayside?

Answer 6

• jobs services-based or managerial which local people often could not access
• rest were high-value, which increased rents and drove local people out
• signature developments drove people out through compulsory purchases

Question 7

Urban sprawl?

Answer 7

-UK has a shortage of 1.8 million homes
This forces housing developments into the greenbelt

• One development is the Newcastle Great Park: started in 2001, has built 1500 and plans to build 4500 more + Headquarters of Sage Group: employing 1500 staff
• the development employs a full-time park manager to maintain the physical environment