Plans have been revealed for Metro Riverside, a lively new city area located on the south bank of the River Tyne. It stands as one of the UK’s largest and most ambitious urban regeneration initiatives. The recently signed public-private partnership agreement is between Gateshead Council and Metrocentre.
Located three miles west of Newcastle-Gateshead city centre, Metro Riverside will convert underused brownfield land adjacent to the Gateshead retail and leisure complex, Metrocentre, into a lively, sustainable, and diverse new community.
The new district is projected to provide over 4,500 homes, create 5,000 jobs, and enhance transport infrastructure. It will double the site’s contribution to the regional economy, reaching more than £2 billion annually by 2045.
LDA Design was commissioned to develop a placemaking vision, ‘Metro Riverside: Transforming lives and making a home by the river’, published by Metrocentre Partnership in collaboration with Gateshead Council.
Metro Riverside will feature a beautiful waterfront environment for residences and workplaces within a series of compact, unique neighborhoods equipped with public squares and parks. The streets will be planned to promote walking and cycling. Metrocentre already includes its own rail and bus stations, and enhancements to the transportation network and services are intended to lessen dependence on private vehicles.
It will be a ’20-minute neighbourhood’ with new and existing communities able to access everything they need within a short walk, and with outdoor spaces providing for sports, activities and play.
At the heart of Metro Riverside will be a re-imagined Metrocentre. Spanning retail, leisure, hospitality, workspace, health and wellbeing, education and renewable energy, the aim is for the centre to serve the everyday needs of new residents and workers.
The aim is for Metro Riverside to also contribute to nature recovery and achieve substantial biodiversity net gain, including green corridors lined with woodland that connect to the river, promoting pedestrian and cyclist links with city centres and the River Tyne corridor. There is an opportunity to enhance sustainable urban drainage throughout the entire area, strengthen flood defences, and boost climate resilience.
There will be a strong focus on clean growth and energy, with a city district that is carbon-neutral, adaptable, and resilient to extreme weather events.
The shared vision by LDA Design will be developed into an outline business case over the next year to secure the necessary funding. Metro Riverside is a key component of Gateshead Council’s Regeneration Plan, which aims to reconnect communities to the river and reverse decades of economic decline. It is recognised as a major housing scheme in NECA’s Local Growth Plan and within the Strategic Place Partnership established by the North East Combined Authority and Homes England.
Image Credit: LDA Design