Lotte Dijkstra: Urban Forest Stories

An exhibition showing how storytelling can foster a sense of belonging in the urban forest, with stories and research from along the Tyne Derwent Way.

The urban forest of Newcastle and Gateshead is all around us. All the trees in the city are part of it, just like you, the other animals, flowers, mushrooms, water, wind, soils, our buildings and roads… The urban forest is good for our health and wellbeing, manages the impact of climate change, and is essential for biodiversity. It is nature close to home.

A great example of an urban forest is the green corridor of the Tyne Derwent Way, situated between St Mary’s Heritage Centre and Gibside. The riverside route connects heritage, culture, people, and wildlife. Gateshead Riverside Park is part of the route, between St Mary’s Heritage Centre and the next stop at Dunston Staiths. This wonderful woodland is visible from the Newcastle quaysides and close to home for those living in Ochre Yards and the Staiths. It even has a sculpture trail.

Yet not everyone knows the urban forest – this one and many others – is there, nor can they easily access its benefits. Trees and parks should be close to home, and everyone should be included in decision-making processes around how they are supported, maintained and used. Importantly, we should all be able to feel like the urban forest is there for us. That is why fostering a sense of belonging in urban forests is vital to make them accessible and inclusive to all.

Collaborative storytelling and fostering connections 

Landscape architect and researcher, Lotte Dijkstra, explores how this kind of belonging can be defined and fostered in urban forests. From 2022 to 2025, she worked to develop a process of collaborative storytelling for her PhD Research by Creative Practice at Newcastle University. The exhibition displays Dijkstra’s graduation work, co-created with schoolchildren and other local people, project partners from the Tyne Derwent Way, international researchers and students, and other-than-human beings in and around Gateshead Riverside Park.

Everyone can foster a sense of belonging through the process of storytelling and the exhibition shows how the power of stories connects us with the urban forest and with each other. The Urban Forest Stories on display are stories of belonging in place, in time, and in a more-than-human world. Stories from other projects along the Tyne Derwent Way invite you to notice the even more urban forest around you: along the Tyne Derwent Way, at Dunston Staiths, and along other green corridors in the North East of England. The built environment consists of so much more than concrete and tarmac . The soft and green, blue and otherwise alive spaces are just as important to ensure we build ideal cities for all species.

Lotte Dijkstra is a landscape architect, researcher, storyteller and artist based in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at Newcastle University. She explores intersectional environmentalism, radical community engagement and place-based creative methods in urban forests through her researching and teaching at Newcastle University and through her company Studio PLACES. This exhibition is part of her PhD Research by Creative Practice, entitled ‘Urban Forest Stories: Fostering intersectional environmental belonging through storytelling’ on fostering belonging in the urban forest.

The Tyne Derwent Way is a nine-mile route with nature, art and history along the rivers Tyne and Derwent, starting at St Mary’s Heritage Centre in Gateshead and ending at Gibside. The project is a collaboration between Gateshead Council, National Trust, Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust, Newcastle University, Northumbria University, and local communities.

Image credit: Collage of urban forest storytelling session in Gateshead Riverside Park by Lotte Dijkstra