Civic strategists have developed an ambitious new plan for overhauling the Newcastle thoroughfare, a former jewel in the city's crown that has come to symbolise the central business district's decay and neglect.

Newcastle City Council has employed urban planning consultants Scape Strategy to help develop a vision for Hunter Street.

The Herald can exclusively reveal the first images of how the new and improved three-kilometre strip could look.

Andrew Turnbull and Bob Perry, of Scape Strategy, presented artwork and ideas to councillors on Tuesday night.

Four precincts and four principles would guide the Hunter Street revitalisation masterplan, Mr Turnbull said.

Proposed precincts were west end, civic, central and east end.

The proposed principles were: urban design, integrated transport, greenways and people and place.

The west end, centred on Cottage Creek, would be an entrance to Hunter Street.

"There's a unique opportunity in the west end to create a gateway site," Mr Turnbull said.

The civic cultural precinct would remain, enhanced with a green corridor and pedestrian connection from the library in Laman Street to the waterfront.

Central would cover the area around the mall, with shopping, entertainment and activities encouraged, especially in the evening.

Mr Turnbull said the aim was to create a night hub with security and lighting.

The east end could build on activity already there in the evenings and on weekends at cafes, restaurants and entertainment venues.

Mr Turnbull said the masterplan should use good urban design as a principle in developing the precincts.

Integrated transport was another goal, with hopes for light rail and fewer cars. Greenways, such as a corridor through civic, would be encouraged, and creating places for people to enjoy. Preliminary concepts have emerged about a year after the council resolved to authorise the plan for Hunter Street. At that stage, it was estimated that revitalising the three-kilometre stretch would cost about $7 million.

The council got the ball rolling in October, opening the mall to traffic at a cost of $324,500. In December, the state government put $300,000 towards the masterplan.

Council's future city director Judy Jaeger said the masterplan was not predicated on the heavy rail line removal.

The report will go on public exhibition before the council endorses the document.