One of the key aims of Newcastle planners for decades has been to reclaim the city centre streets for pedestrians.
As far back as the 1960s, when the Central Motorway and Eldon Square shopping centre were first conceived, the idea was to keep people and cars as far away from each other as possible.
The streets of Newcastle were laid out in the early 19th century - a distant time at least 100 years before motor cars began to proliferate on our roads.
The real growth in numbers came after the war. In 1950, there were two million cars in the UK; by 1961 the figure had rocketed to nine million.
Our main image showing Northumberland Street was captured in that latter year. We see the street, looking North, with Marks & Spencer on the left, several decades before the landmark store would be be substantially redeveloped and expanded.
In 1961, cars and buses were still making their way up and down the city's main shopping thoroughfare, which was also a busy, integral section of the main A1 route that linked London and Edinburgh.
It wouldn't be until 1975 that the Central Motorway was up and running, taking away much of the roar of traffic from Newcastle city centre.
A year later, Eldon Square shopping complex opened. The Chronicle noted at the time: "Shoppers will be able to walk freely in a series of covered malls, while traffic is segregated at a lower level of service roads and a bus concourse."
Northumberland Street itself wasn't fully pedestrianised until 1998 - and buses and service vehicles would still trundle up and down, side by side with shoppers, until then.
More recently, as part of a £50 million overhaul of the city centre, we reported how Grey Street would also gradually be pedestrianised, finally evolving into a car-free haven for pedestrians and cyclists.
Other proposals in the vision include banning all vehicles from Blackett Street and creating a marketplace area in Ridley Place.
The car, at least in Newcastle city centre, seems to be gradually on the retreat.
Don't forget to check out our Memory Lane local history website that's packed with archive photographs and has an easy-to-use picture colourisation tool.
Do you remember Northumberland Street before it was pedestrianised? Share your memories in the comments below
