As the 2010 Ryder Cup golf tournament draws closer, Newport, the host city, is undergoing an impressive transformation.

Newport Unlimited, a partnership of Newport City Council, the Welsh Assembly Government working with the private sector, has developed three master plans to map out a new environment for city living, working and leisure.

In the run up to the Ryder Cup, Newport will see more than 50 projects delivered across 15 priority areas, helping to attract £1bn in private sector investment and create 5,000 new jobs.

Spanning the River Usk, the multi-award winning £5m Newport City Footbridge was opened in 2006. The left bank of the River Usk is set to become a cultural district, home to the arts and education, with a £50m university campus to accommodate up to 3,000 students.

The city centre will see over £300m of new investment in shopping and commercial developments. Three new shopping centres are planned and underway, including the 400,000 sq ft Friars Walk development* (above) as well as City Spires (left) both led by Modus.

Furthermore, the 200,000 sq ft refurbished Kingsway Centre by UBS, will add to, and complement, the busy Commercial Street pedestrianised shopping area.

The west side of the city (below left) received a series of major boosts when it was announced that almost 2,000 jobs would come to Newport. The Office for National Statistics, HM Prison Services, the Quinn Group and Wales and West Utilities, have set the ball rolling in attracting private investment to drive the city's growth.

Meanwhile St Modwen has been given the go-ahead for a development of 4,000 new homes, two new schools and café bars in the east of the city (above right). The 600-acre development located in Llanwern is one of the largest brownfield sites in England and Wales.

Newport's position on the M4 corridor, located midway between Cardiff and Bristol, gives it an excellent vantage point to attract job-creating investment.

The regeneration programme underway in Newport will establish it as a premier location for living, working and leisure. It will be a prosperous and forward-thinking city for the future.

For further information about Newport Unlimited or any of the priority regeneration areas please visit the website at www.newportunlimited.co.uk, or email info@newportunlimited.co.uk

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*Since this article was published, the Friars Walk development has been abandoned - read more from BBC News