Hundreds flock to new-look Derby City Lab in opening week

Hundreds of people visited the new-look Derby City Lab during its opening week inside the Derbion shopping centre.

The lab, which is housed on Level 2 of the centre, opened its doors to the public on Monday 4 March.

Since then, almost 750 people have come through its doors to find out more about Derby’s regeneration story.

Staffed by a team of newly recruited customer assistants, Marketing Derby staff and volunteer ‘changemakers’, the lab is open seven days a week (Monday to Wednesday 10am to 4pm, Thursday to Saturday 11am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm).

Located between Castle Galleries and Goldsmiths (and opposite Frasers/Sports Direct and Marks & Spencer), the purpose of the lab is to engage the wider community in better understanding the evolution of the city and investment pipeline.

Previously situated in St James’s Street, the new-look lab is a public/private partnership involving Marketing Derby, Derby City Council, the University of Derby and Derbion.

Adam Rodgers, inward investment executive at Marketing Derby and Derby City Lab lead, said: “It’s been great to see so many people interested in Derby’s future.

“We’ve seen a wide variety of people, who have shared their views, some of whom have followed the lab’s journey with interest and wanted to see us in our new location.”

The centrepiece of the new-look city lab is the Derby City Model – a detailed 3D model of Derby city centre, which aims to help visitors visualise the city’s ongoing regeneration story.

It also houses the City Living Room, which includes detailed information about the city’s investment pipeline, as well as a 300-year timeline of the city.

Visitors can also view the city of the future by watching a film all about the University of Derby’s Derby Urban Sustainable Transition (DUST) project.

Adam said: “The future visions of DUST have been really well received and have stirred people’s imagination on Derby’s sustainable future, with a particular interest in the North Riverside and the restoration of Markeaton Brook.”

More information about the Derby City Lab can be found at its new website http://www.derbycitylab.com .