Key Issues

The scored and written responses, interview and meeting notes, and workshop sheets together point to a set of particular issues that characterise life and work in Newport from the perspective of those participating in the project:

• Newport is losing its identity. The lack of care and purpose that has consequently set in is diminishing its engagement with the people who live and work there, its offer to visitors, its appeal to investors, and its capacity to offer diverse employment and opportunities for enterprise.

• Newport is sometimes not a comfortable or pleasant place to explore as a pedestrian, cyclist or motorist, because there is no system or arrangement for safe sharing of its street space nor meaningful or helpful organization of its parking, its resting or meeting places.

• Newport is losing the diversity of its appeal, in the activities, events and information that it provides its visitors and users and as a consequence its sense of place, and local distinctiveness, are degraded.

• Newport is considered a safe place to visit in the round, but with a significant number of individually negative experiences at specific locations and at specific times.

• Newport’s public transport is thought of favourably in the round, but with a significant number of individually negative opinions regarding price and the level of engagement with public and community service.

• Newport’s public realm has become anonymous.

• And yet Newport, in its town and parish, has extraordinary time-depth, natural and cultural assets and narratives old and new.

• Once again we can say that Newport is characterised by mismatch, between its natural, cultural and social capital and the satisfaction, wellbeing and opportunity it offers its residents, commuters and visitors.