• redevelopment
• open space
• public housing
• working class
• public participation
• building system
• place making

The Byker Redevelopment Project is o bold, sprawling, yet well-composed urban project which proposes a strong sense of community identity in the design of public housing and open space. Located approximately one mile east of the center of Newcastle in what was a deteriaroted neighborhood, the project occupies some 81 hectares (200 acres) adjacent to a subway station and a major shopping district. The current population of approximately 6,300 people is housed in 2,000 dwelling units al from one to six residents each. A distinctive architectural feature of the project is housing in the form of an "inhabitable wall" that rises up to eight stories along the northern perimeter of the site, adjacent to the railroad right-of-way. Most of the remaining units are in the form of low-rise "terrace housing" on the downhill slopes of the site, facing the River Tyne and downtown Newcastle. During the 1880s, the old "Byker" was developed with small, two-story terraced houses of flats for workers in the then-expanding shipbuilding and heavy engineering industries. The resulting working ­class community of about 16,000 people flourished, becoming rich in local color and tradition, until it was overtaken by economic decline after World War II. In 1966, sections of "The Byker" were demolished to accommodate a new motorway. By 1968, plans for massive redevelopment of the area were initiated by the city's planning officer and housing architect. Redevelopment rather than rehabilitation was deemed necessary because of the sheer physical deteri­oration and marginal standard of the existing housing stock. Later in that year, Erskine's office was engaged to undertake the project. By 1970, a Plan of Intent was developed, in lieu of a traditional master plan, allowing flexible incorporation of such explicit social goals as the preservation of traditional values, maintenance of family ties and a strengthening of community associations. As one commentator stated, the political aim of the project was "Byker for Byker people.'' Janet Square, the first phase of the project, was constructed in 1971 and 1972. It was here that direct resident participation was the strongest. Some 46 families volunteered to take an active part in the planning and design process. From the outset, they worked closely with the designers to establish many of the hallmarks al the redevelopment project. These include a preference for bright colors, the desire for a "new Byker image," and the retention of selected features of the old Byker, such as corner stores, pubs and the Shipley Street Baths. Five additional phases were completed between 1972 and 1982, including extensive landscape architecture. The architectural pedigree of the Byker Redevelopment Project derives from many sources in addition to Erskine's own work. First, there is a clear affinity with the spirit of the Garden City, recalling both Howard and Geddes. Second, overtones of modern Scandinavian architecture, including Aalto's work, are unmistakable. Third, there is something of Cullen's Townscape in many aspects of the open-space design. And finally, ideas of building system, popular during the 1960s, also have their place. Nevertheless, the work is far from derivative, remaining both distinctive and coherent.