LOCATION
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city of remarkable contrasts, Roman heritage and contemporary design, post-industrial grit and a thriving cultural scene, warm community spirit and genuine cosmopolitan energy. Situated in the North East of England on the north bank of the River Tyne, it is one of the UK’s most distinctive and welcoming cities.
Linked by seven iconic bridges across a bustling Quayside, Newcastle and Gateshead together form a single, vibrant destination, one that consistently surprises first-time visitors with the quality of its food, culture, and architecture. Centuries-old history and heritage sit alongside green innovation, and the famously warm Geordie welcome makes the city feel immediately accessible. For an international conference on service design, it is also a fitting host: a city actively grappling with questions of place, equity, and the futures of post-industrial communities, the very territory ServDes 2027 asks us to examine. You can find out more about Newcastle:
Visit Northeast & Get Into Newcastle
The Conference Venue
ServDes 2027 will be held at Northumbria University’s City Campus, located in the heart of Newcastle city centre. The campus sits just a couple of roads from the main shopping areas and cultural centres, combining innovative contemporary buildings with historical sites listed for their heritage and grandeur. The Design School is based in City Campus East, an award-winning building that serves as the conference’s home for the week.
The campus is walkable from Newcastle Central Station (around 10 minutes) and well connected by the Metro and local buses. Full directions are available on our Getting Here page.
Address: Northumbria University, City Campus East 2, Falconar Street, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE2 1XA
Exploring the City
On the Quayside
The riverfront is the city’s most iconic quarter. The Tyne Bridge, the tilting Gateshead Millennium Bridge, and the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art sit within easy walking distance of one another. The Quayside hosts a popular Sunday market and is lined with restaurants, bars, and independent cafes.
Culture and Museums
The BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, a former flour mill on the Gateshead bank hosts one of Europe’s largest temporary exhibition programmes across more than 3,000 square metres of gallery space, alongside a cinema, library, and rooftop restaurant. The Great North Museum: Hancock offers free entry to natural history, archaeology, and a dedicated Hadrian’s Wall gallery. The Tyneside Cinema, the UK’s only surviving news cinema still screening films, is a short walk from campus.
Creative Quarter
The Ouseburn Valley’s creative quarter packs a thriving collection of galleries, studios, and independent shops, making it well worth an evening wander. The area has been central to Newcastle’s creative resurgence and reflects many of the informal economies of care and culture that ServDes 2027 explores.
History and Architecture
Grainger Town is the city’s elegant Victorian heart, located on Grey Street, regularly cited among the finest streets in England. Newcastle Castle, which gave the city its name, sits close to the Quayside and offers panoramic views from the keep. Further afield, Hadrian’s Wall stretches westward and is within easy reach for those staying a few extra days.
Food and Nightlife
Newcastle has a well-regarded independent restaurant scene alongside a famously lively night culture. The city centre and Ouseburn both have strong concentrations of food, drink, and live music options to suit most tastes and budgets.
Beyond the City
Beautiful coastal towns are just a 20-minute Metro ride from City Campus, and the Northumberland countryside, including Bamburgh Castle and some of England’s emptiest beaches is within an hour. Edinburgh is roughly 90 minutes by train, making it a manageable day trip for those with time to spare before or after the conference.
For further inspiration, visit NewcastleGateshead’s official tourism guide.
