Movement: Staiths, South Bank, Gateshead

Built in the early 2000s, Staiths is a 760-home development on the south banks of the River Tyne in Gateshead.

The principal aim of the project was to prioritise people over the car, with the implementation of the ‘Home Zone’ concept. Car ownership is restricted to one car parking space per household, with 25% visitor parking. Reduced car ownership and careful design encourage low travel speeds, which enhances pedestrian safety. The site is easily navigable by bike or foot, with landscaped communal courtyards.

Shared streets are intended for a range of activities: integrating play areas, table tennis, parking, planting, communal barbecues and indirect traffic routes. The overall concept encourages “friendly neighbourhoods” and enables children to “adventure in safety”. Incidental neighbourly contact is enhanced by the provision of a variety of informal seating areas within the public realm.