Greening and blueing of city provides magazine’s focus

The central theme of Marketing Derby’s latest edition of Innovate Magazine, which is out this week, is all about efforts to create a nature-led regeneration of the city.

The summer edition of the quarterly publication, which provides a window into the amazing and inspiring Derby and Derbyshire business sector, puts the spotlight on a variety of schemes, all of which aim to bring nature back to the city centre by regenerating both land and water.

An organisation which is championing a nature-led regeneration of the city is Down to Earth Derby, which has ambitious plans, backed by Sir Tim Smitt, creator of the Eden Project.

Innovate meets the team behind Down to Earth, to discover more about their vision.

A key player in the regeneration of Derby city centre is the University of Derby.

As part of its ambition to have more of a presence in the heart of the city, it has unveiled its City Masterplan, with a new business school at its heart.

The plans feature some stunning buildings, created around a revitalised waterway.

Innovate delves deeper into these plans with Carl Longworth, the university’s estates director.

Markeaton Brook is another project that could further enhance the city centre.

Innovate finds out how a design and engineering consultant’s report, which shows how buried parts of Markeaton Brook, running under the heart of the city centre, could be exposed to create a dramatic new ‘water feature’ and environmental corridor, has captured the imagination of businesses.

Meanwhile, towards the outskirts of the city, Derby is looking to create the UK’s largest rewilding space at Allestree Park.

Innovate discovers how Derby City Council is working with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to make this ambitious project a reality.

The greening of the city provides the topic for this edition’s Talking Business panel discussion, which considered whether we can grow and still go green.

Green energy is certainly a hot topic at the moment as the world looks to move away from its reliance on fossil fuels and focus on renewables.

As a result, in his Q&A with Innovate, Andrew Storer, chief executive of the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Centre, predicts a bright future for the sector.

In this edition, Innovate meets Viv Russell, chair of the Institute of Quarrying, an organisation with more than 6,000 members around the globe which, for more than 100 years, has been committed to promoting the industry and supporting those working within it.

He, along with the institute’s chief executive James Thorne, share their plans to relocate to the National Stone Centre, at Wirksworth, and create a world-class visitor experience and an internationally significant centre of excellence for the quarrying and mineral products industry.

Innovate also catches up with Tracy Harrison, the inspirational chief executive of specialist child exploitation charity Safe and Sound.

And it also meets Claire MacDonald and Anna the sisters behind award-winning Church Broughton-based marketing and design agency MacMartin.

Finally, in his Last Word column, Marketing Derby managing director John Forkin, who offers a message of hope as we all grapple with various economic challenges and headwinds.

To read the latest edition of Innovate magazine please click here.