Maternal Spaces Survey - Gender Inclusive Cities

Navigating the city centre with a baby or young child can be joyful, exhausting, and everything in between. From feeding and changing to finding somewhere to rest, these everyday experiences often shape where we go, how long we stay, and whether we feel welcome at all.

Project Aim

To explore and understand mothers’ embodied experiences and spatial practices in Newcastle city centre, focusing on how the availability, quality, and accessibility of maternal spaces shape their engagement with, navigation of, and sense of belonging in urban public spaces.

Research Objectives

To investigate mothers’ embodied caregiving experiences in Newcastle city centre—such as feeding, changing, and resting—and how these practices influence their comfort, confidence, and sense of welcome in public spaces.
To examine mothers’ spatial practices and navigation patterns, including the areas they use, avoid, or pass through, and how maternal care needs shape their movement and use of the city centre.
To critically assess three key locations (Monument area, Saville Row, and Clayton Street West) through mothers’ lived experiences, with particular attention to the presence, condition, and usability of maternal care infrastructure.
To understand the behavioural impacts of inadequate facilities, including avoidance of specific areas, reduced visit frequency, or shortened duration of city centre visits.
To gather mothers’ and caregivers’ recommendations for practical improvements that would make Newcastle city centre more accessible, inclusive, and welcoming for families with young children.
To provide evidence-based recommendations to Newcastle City Council and relevant stakeholders to improve maternal spaces and facilities and enhance city centre accessibility for families.

With Alanis Burgess from P+HS Architects, we are inviting mothers and caregivers of young children to take part in a short survey about experiences in Newcastle city centre.