Two level toon [24 photos] in NZ2564 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland

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Two level toon

A 1960s vision for Newcastle City Centre to separate traffic from pedestrians by creating a network of concrete walkways above access roads and traffic routes of the existing streets.
Geography reverses the situation somewhat at the Swan House roundabout which merges traffic coming off the Tyne Bridge with that from the Central Motorway and the City Centre. Here pedestrians are moved below the roads in subways but emerge again above the deep valley of Side under the Tyne Bridge.
The vision would have included Northumberland Street (where some new stores were built with shop windows at what is now first floor level), and further, but eventually money ran out and it was realised that too much of architectural merit would have to be sacrificed.
The development of the city in the 1960s and 1970s was marred by a corruption scandal involving a local politician, T. Dan Smith (aka 'The Mouth of the Tyne), and John Poulson, a property developer. Echoes of the scandal were revisited in the late 1990s in the BBC TV mini-series, 'Our Friends in the North' Link

The 'streets in the sky' concept is explained in the Urban Translation Tour Link

Plans of this and other Newcastle developments are discussed here Link

by Andrew Curtis

Created: Sat, 23 Jan 2010, Updated: Sat, 30 Jan 2010

24 images use this description: (all images taken in 2010)

NZ2564 : Steps from New Bridge Street to walkway by Andrew Curtis

NZ2563 : Cale Cross House by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : Restaurant below Bewick Court by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : Central Motorway by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : Laing Art Gallery from John Dobson Street by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : "ONE CAN BUT HOPE" by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : New Bridge Street and Blue Carpet Square by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : Upper level walkway above Premier Inn, Oxford Street by Andrew Curtis

NZ2464 : Primark, Northumberland Street by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : Bewick Court, John Dobson Street by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : Shops for let on upper level walkway below Bewick Court by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : Former Bank of England building from walkways north of 55 Degrees North by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : Upper level walkway above Higham Place by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : Upper level walkway above Oxford Street & Durant Road by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : Walkways from New Bridge Street by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : Network of upper level walkways below Bewick Court by Andrew Curtis

NZ2464 : Northumberland Road by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : Bewick Court & corner of new City Library from Princess Square by Andrew Curtis

NZ2564 : Laing Art Gallery, Higham Place side by Andrew Curtis

NZ2563 : Under the Tyne Bridge (north section) by Andrew Curtis

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