Sustainable Cities and Communities
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
17 Sustainable Development Goals are at the core of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They represent a blueprint for peace and prosperity that all its member states adopted in 2015.
Find out more about how Newcastle University is working towards these goals to help create a better and fairer world.
Goal 11
We're situated in the heart of Newcastle Upon Tyne. We:
- work with many sustainable transport options available to get to and from the University
- work with other key institutions in the city to improve the sustainability of the city as a whole
We have an Environmental Management System and Energy Management System, certified to ISO 14001 and 50001. These ensure continuous improvement in environmental and energy performance.
We contribute to and support the arts and culture sector of the North East. We have centres of arts and culture on our campus, and our heritage research is far-reaching and world-class.
Green spaces
As a University, we're very proud that:
- our campus grounds are open to the public to enjoy
- our central campus was awarded a Green Flag
- we have many green and colourful spaces all over campus, a credit to our Grounds Team in Estates and Facilities. They focus on planting pollinator-friendly species of plants
Arts and heritage
Newcastle University has many historical buildings, and these are open to the public during Heritage Open Days.
The Great North Museum and the Hatton Gallery:
- Hancock and the Hatton Gallery are situated in our Newcastle city centre campus. Both of these are owned by Newcastle University and have free entry. The Hatton Gallery is an art gallery which includes exhibits from Newcastle University BA Fine Art students
- Hancock is a natural history museum with many interactive activities for families and frequent event days for school children
King's Hall
- We have a wonderful programme of live music in King’s Hall. Lunchtime concerts on Thursdays take place in-person in King’s Hall. These concerts are free and open to everyone
Centre for Heritage
The Centre for Heritage is one of our Newcastle University Centres of Research Excellence (NUCoREs). The centre:
- brings together experts across a range of disciplines
- looks at preservation of traditions, cultural monuments and landscapes
- enables researchers to address our relationship with the past
Health Innovation Neighbourhood
Health Innovation Neighbourhood (HIN) is a cutting-edge £500m development that supports the understanding, care and innovation of products and services for an ageing population.
It is a collaboration where housing, green spaces, healthcare, and educational spaces sit beside research and innovation. It acts as a real-world testbed to investigate, identify, and implement multidimensional, multidisciplinary approaches.
The aim is to drive and inform healthier and sustainable living across the life course.
The outline masterplan for the site was developed with GSS Architecture. It focuses on integrating the site with the surrounding communities and infrastructure.
The planning application includes capacity for a residential and commercial. This includes a proposal for a range of housing suitable for the local population. We expect this will include housing complementary to the purpose of the site, such as:
Assisted Living (Future-Facing Extra Care Housing) using technology to improve quality of life for residents and staff
‘High’ Care Home accommodation to help people with complex and advanced care needs to stay in their own homes for as long as possible
Retirement Living – accommodation to maintain independent lifestyles for later years living but allows access to support services
HIN has been promoted on property forums nationally and internationally. These include the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF), MIPIM and EXPO REAL.