It's been a year of major changes for Newport.
The city saw some big steps forward in 2021 despite the ongoing uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.
The indoor market redevelopment has begun and is set to deliver a "market for the 21st century" when it opens next month, while there have also been moves forward in the Market Arcade and the redevelopment of Chartist Tower.
Read more: All the big changes in Newport this year and what's on the horizon for 2022
There have been some negatives too though - more empty shop fronts have popped up around the city centre after another hard year for businesses, while the closure of Admiral's office is a massive blow for those relying on commuter and office trade.
From housing to retail and climate action, here are some things we need to see in Newport in 2022.
Progress on major developments
Work is ongoing on a number of major projects in Newport. The market development is possibly the most important, and will hopefully be a huge driver of trade when it opens in February.
However, progress on others has been hampered in part due to the pandemic. The revamp of the Market Arcade was first announced in February 2020 and was due to complete in 2021, but has yet to be finished.
The long-awaited opening of the 15-storey, 150-bed Mercure Newport hotel as part of the multi-million redevelopment of Chartist Tower, the city's tallest building, has been beset with delays since it was announced in July 2018.
Originally slated to open in April 2020, the hotel has not yet completed, though its management recently announced employment open days and it is now due to open in the first quarter of 2022.
Meanwhile, the £11 million revamp of Newport's historic Transporter Bridge is looking uncertain. The project, which includes repair work, structure preservation and a new visitor centre, was thrown into doubt last summer when its contractor plunged into administration, and the council confirmed in December that there would be further delays as it continued talks with potential new contractors and funding partners.
While there are some positive steps forward and the pandemic has admittedly not helped, greater certainty on some of the city's developments this year would be a major plus in improving its economy.
More independent businesses in Friars Walk and Commercial Street
Like many cities and towns, Newport has been suffering the effects of a changing high street in recent years.
In 2020 Friars Walk was hit with a number of high-profile closures as major chains such as Topshop, The Body Shop, Schuh and Flying Tiger exited the shopping centre. They were followed last year by the collapse of Debenhams.
But there have been some positives more recently. A number of new smaller chains and independents including Fabrix, The Port and Damaged Society have opened in the centre, indicating that there may be hope on the horizon.
It would be fantastic to see support for small businesses continue in 2022, both from the council, Welsh Government and shoppers buying locally, as high streets recover from a bruising two years. This would give more people the confidence to open up their own shops and fill the empty shop fronts in the city centre.
Tougher action on fly-tipping
Fly-tipping in many areas of the country have shown a rise since the pandemic began, and Newport has a few problem areas.
Figures revealed by WalesOnline last year showed only 17 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) were issued by Newport City Council in the first half of 2021, despite thousands of recorded complaints. It's been reported that fly-tipping in Wales has risen 22% between March 2020 and April 2021.
There has been some course for celebration, such as the infamous 'road to nowhere' in Coedkernew finally being cleared after more than 20 years of campaigning, but littering and fly tipping in areas like Pill and St Julians is still happening far too frequently.
In 2022, more frequent investigating and issuing of fines for illegal dumping would be welcome, and would reduce the need for costly, time-consuming clean-up operations.
Attracting new businesses to fill the Admiral offices
The announcement from Admiral in November that it would be closing its offices in Newport and Cardiff came as a major unexpected blow for Welsh cities.
The company, which first began in Newport, departed after it decided to move towards a hybrid home-working model, and it now no longer has a base there.
The loss of so many people working in the city centre is a massive loss, and while office trade might not be many businesses' bread and butter, the popularity of Newport as a place to live needs to be matched by jobs.
Finding businesses to replace Admiral should therefore be a priority this year in order to bolster footfall.
Read more about how Welsh cities can adapt in the wake of Admiral's departure here.
Solving traffic issues in the Brynglas Tunnels
Traffic congestion in and around the M4 and through the Brynglas Tunnels is a long-standing issue but one that's never really been addressed.
The saga of the M4 relief road appears to finally have been put to bed after the remaining £78 million costs of the derailed project were written off last year. But despite plans for six new train stations to alleviate traffic along the M4, motorists and commuters are still hit with daily gridlock at peak times.
The £1.2m upgrade of the Newport to Crosskeys line, which reopened for the first time since 1962 in December, is one of the first projects of the South Wales Metro and part of a public transport push to ease traffic jams around the city.
2022 needs to build on this progress and continue to improve public transport to make Newport a more connected, navigable city for workers and commuters.
Clarity on the future of Cineworld
The cinema industry has faced a major threat since the pandemic began, with titles such as Disney's Mulan opting to release straight to streaming and others also choosing to bypass traditional theatre showings.
In May last year Cineworld announced it would not be reopening its Friars Walk site despite coronavirus restrictions easing. It said at the time that this was due to "unreasonable terms from the landlord" and that the cinema would "remain closed indefinitely."
More than half a year on and the cinema remains closed, with no news of whether it has permanently shut or who might replace it. When last contacted by WalesOnline in November a Cineworld spokesperson said it was closed indefinitely but did not comment further.
Cinemas remain popular among millions of people, and the absence of a major chain in Newport city centre - the closest other cinema is in Spytty retail park - is bound to have a negative impact. There are other entertainment options in Friars Walk such as Superbowl UK, but clarity is needed on Cineworld's future so any plans to reopen or replace it can move forward.
Better public spaces
The pandemic has admittedly put a strain on council resources, but the poor state of a number of Newport's public playgrounds and parks has been reported on several occasions.
In November parents lamented the shocking state of the play park at Pill Millennium Centre in Pill while residents also complained about the lack of action at the playground near Celtic Horizons in Duffryn which is rundown and has numerous pieces of equipment missing despite years of campaigning.
Back in May it was also reported that Belle Vue Park was targeted by vandals who caused damage twice within a week, with campaigners and traders there saying it is plagued with anti-social behaviour.
Newport has some great open spaces but they needed to be treated better or they will be lost to those who need them most.
More housing
Being so close to Bristol and Cardiff, Newport has become an ever more popular place to live.
Newport 's population was described as the fastest growing of any Welsh city in 2020 with the scrapping of the Severn tolls seen as a major contributing factor.
And last year James Crook of Crook and Blight estate agents said “prices are just going up and up” in the city, citing home working as a possible reason.
Developers have responded with some major housing developments now ongoing. 219 homes are being built on the former University of South Wales campus in Caerleon while there are major plans for Jubilee Park in Rogerstone, where 930 homes have already been built as part of a whopping plan for 1,200 houses.
Other proposals for flats in other areas have also been passed, and this needs to continue if the city is to remain affordable and liveable.
Sporting success (or full stadiums)
Ok, so this one we don't have much control over - but how amazing would it be to see County go up after last May's play-off final heartbreak?
After getting so close last time out, the Exiles are right back in the mix, currently lying just inside the play-off spots and it would give the city an enormous lift if James Rowberry's side were to go one better in 2022.
Failing that, we'd settle for simply seeing fans inside Rodney Parade again. After an uninterrupted few months before Christmas, crowds are now banned from sporting events at all levels in Wales.
Matches are nothing without fans, so here's hoping we can return to full stadiums as soon as it's safe to do so.
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