Gateshead Council, together with development partner Ask: PATRIZIA, has submitted plans for new public spaces and enabling infrastructure as part of the £24 million (US$31.7 million) first phase of the Gateshead Quays regeneration in Gateshead, UK.

The Gateshead Quays redevelopment has moved forward with the submission of plans for a major programme of public-realm and infrastructure improvements at Gateshead Quays in Gateshead, northeast England. The proposals are intended to transform the waterfront into a more accessible destination for residents, visitors, events and leisure activities. The council has already identified Gateshead Quays as a major development site with potential for leisure, conference, hotel, residential, retail and public-space uses. 

A key element of the proposals is the creation of a new Performance Square. The outdoor space is planned to support performances, events and other activities associated with the waterfront and the nearby Glasshouse International Centre for Music. The scheme also includes an Arrival Plaza, which will provide a more defined entrance to the Quays, and a Linear Park designed to introduce landscaped public space and improve pedestrian movement through the site.

The proposals form part of the wider vision for Gateshead Quays, which includes the potential development of a large arena and additional commercial and leisure facilities. Planning documents for the wider scheme show an arena component alongside the existing cultural facilities at the Quays, including the Glasshouse and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. 

The public-realm works are also intended to improve connectivity between the waterfront and surrounding parts of Gateshead. New pedestrian routes, landscaped areas and gathering spaces would make the Quays more usable beyond individual events, while helping integrate the waterfront with the wider urban area. Gateshead's planning framework formally identifies the site as part of the Gateshead Quays Key Site, where development is expected to include public and green space alongside leisure, commercial, and other uses.