Talking Investment: ‘How Derby City Lab has engaged thousands of people in city’s regeneration story’

The Derby City Lab, which was established to engage the public in the city’s future, recently celebrated its second anniversary. Since opening in 2022, the lab has played a vital role in informing the Derby public about the city’s regeneration future – and gathering their feedback. Here, Adam Rodgers, inward investment executive at Marketing Derby and Derby City Lab lead, reflects on the success of the lab.

It really is quite astounding when I look back on what the Derby City Lab has achieved since it first opened its doors two years ago.

The figures speak for themselves – almost 10,000 visitors, hundreds of opinions and comments obtained and a range of exhibitions and focus groups hosted.

The lab was conceived as a space to engage, inform and inspire people about plans to shape the city going forward.

It was based on the concept of ‘urban rooms’, which have appeared in various cities around the world to help local communities better understand the evolution of their place and engage them in shaping its future.

It was created thanks to a partnership between ourselves (Marketing Derby), along with the University of Derby, Derby City Council and Lathams.

The first incarnation of the lab opened in a unit in St James’s Street, which was kindly provided by Clowes Developments.

We were adjacent to the city’s regeneration frontline, close to the £200 million Becketwell scheme, on a street with the highest vacancy rates.

Housing the Derby’s Investor Showcase, the idea was to host a rolling programme of exhibitions focused on future pipeline projects and ideas.

We opened to the public in July 2022 with a special exhibition hosted by Down to Earth Derby, which featured visions for a greener city produced by the world-leading Eden Project.

Over 15 more exhibitions followed, attracting more than 1,200 visitors.

Such was its success that in October last year, the partnership behind the Derby City Lab won the Public/Private Partnership Award at the prestigious EG Awards, beating off entries from London, Liverpool and Manchester.

On 4 March this year, the city lab re-opened in its current location, inside Derbion, where it is currently enjoying even greater success, engaging thousands of people thanks to the centre’s high rates of footfall.

The centrepiece of the second edition of the 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.

The lab also serves as a venue for various focus groups, competitions and events.

We employ four members of staff at the lab now, which has enabled us to open seven days a week.

To date, we have engaged more than 8,000 people at our Derbion location, obtaining over 500 opinions and comments on Derby’s future.

The lab has certainly come a long way since we first opened in St James’s Street.

Our content is being constantly refreshed and updated as Derby continues to evolve.

We regularly stage activities and competitions to engage the wider public – and we even have our own newspaper, which is called ‘Engage’.

The lab has also provided a fitting starting point for the Derby Insider Tours – as well as investors wanting to find out more about what is happening in the city.

I am very proud of what the lab has achieved over the last two years.

I hope it has helped those who have visited gain a better understanding of our city’s direction of travel.

And to those who are yet to visit: what are you waiting for?

To find out more about the Derby City Lab and to plan your visit go to https://derbycitylab.com/ .