What’s On
Our extensive events, exhibition and discussion group programme brings together members of the public, local businesses and ambassadors for topical discussion that stimulate conversation on the regeneration and repurposing of Derby city centre.
The Lab is home to the new Derby City Model, a 300-year timeline of the city and the City Living Room. Visitors can also view the University of Derby’s DUST project on Derby’s Urban Sustainable Transition.
Visit the award-winning Derby City Lab in its new home at Derby Market Hall. We’re open seven days a week!
View the
Derby City Model
The Lab’s centrepiece is the brand-new Derby City Model – a detailed 3D model of Derby city centre, which aims to help visitors visualise the city’s ongoing regeneration story.
The model features over £1.9bn of investment projects and £722m developments in the pipeline, the 2.5-metre-long model is the first comprehensive Derby model of its kind.
The model stretches from Derby Train Station to the University of Derby’s City Hub, and from Green Lane to North Riverside.
Viewers can pick out the river Derwent running North to South, as well as iconic buildings such as Derby Cathedral, the Quad and the two ‘Pepper Pots’.
Keep in touch
Keep up to date with everything Derby City Lab related by following us on social media.
Derby’s Urban Sustainable Transition (DUST)
Watch Derby’s Urban Sustainable Transition (DUST) unfold before your eyes.
DUST is a co-creation project, collaborating with multiple agencies across Derby to produce interactive visualisations for a more connected, accessible, sustainable, and prosperous city for future generations.
The DUST team has visualised concepts for various sites across Derby including proposals for a natural restoration of Markeaton Brook, a culture-led renovation of Friar Gate Bridge, and a flood-resilient transformation of the “shoulder” of river Derwent.
DUST is hosted by the University of Derby and led by Professor Chris Bussell, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the College of Science and Engineering. The project is kindly funded by the Osborne legacy.
See the future visions of the city here, or by visiting the Lab.
Derwent Wharf – North Riverside
Living Streets Study
The Derby’s Urban Sustainable Transition (DUST) project team are also inviting the public to take part in their research study titled “Living Streets”.
The purpose of this study is to humanise Derby’s streets and neighbourhoods.
Please visit the Lab for further information, alternatively you can click the link below if you are interested in finding out more or participating.
Film Footage
The Lab’s City Living Room includes aerial and computer generated imagery (CGI) footage of key city centre regeneration sites including:
Castleward – The £100m regeneration is a new, highly sustainable, mixed-use neighbourhood, delivered in a number of phases over a 15-20 year period and will provide ca.1000 new homes, with mixed tenure,
Friar Gates Goods Yard – Plans have been approved to redevelop this 11.5-acre site will deliver 276 new homes and £100m investment on the site and include the reanimation of two landmark Grade II listed buildings, the Bonded Warehouse and The Engine House.
Nightingale Quarter – an 18.5-acre site, previously home to the Derby Royal Infirmary hospital and will deliver 925 units and £175m investment.
Cathedral One – £100m plans for the redevelopment of one of the final plots of vacant land within Derby’s Cathedral Quarter, include a mixture of one and two-bedroom apartments that rise to nine storeys overlooking Cathedral Green and the River Derwent.
View the footage by visiting the Lab.
Innovation Timeline
The Lab’s City Living Room features the unique ‘300 Years of Innovation Timeline’.
The timeline begins in 1721, with the opening of the Silk Mill – widely considered the world’s first factory – and continues through to 2025, highlighting the launch of several key regeneration projects.
Interactive Touchscreen
The latest addition to the Lab is a brand-new interactive touchscreen kiosk.
It features a cloud-based, dynamic map of Derby and allows users to explore detailed information on pipeline projects visible in the 3D Derby City Model.
The kiosk presents city developments through informative text, images, drone footage, and CGI content – delivered in an intuitive and engaging way.
Have your say…
The Lab is a hub for helping local communities understand how the city is evolving and for engaging people in shaping its future.
It hosts events, exhibitions, consultations and discussion groups, and has welcomed thousands of visitors – gathering a wide range of opinions and comments.
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with our programme.
Walking Tours
Join a free Insider Tour to get the inside track on Derby’s regeneration story and learn about its future development.
The walking tour offers participants a unique opportunity to learn about Derby’s past, present and future aspirations.
Upcoming events and exhibitions
Our events and exhibitions programme has something for everyone. Keep up to date with our plans here.
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13th August
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10th September
Past exhibitions
Here is a snapshot of the exhibitions the Derby City Lab is proud to have hosted.
Down to Earth Derby
The first exhibition in the Derby City Lab was hosted by Down to Earth Derby, in partnership with the Eden Project. Together, they showcased their plans for city-wide nature based regeneration
Victorian Market Hall
Derby-based architects, Lathams, hosted an exhibition on the transformation of the Market Hall into an attractive and flexible market and event space, reopening in 2024.
Dust – Derby’s Urban Sustainable Transition
The University of Derby exhibited its DUST research with a mission to envisage a sustainable, resilient, and attractive future for the city of Derby.
A new vision for Derby City Centre
Derby residents, visitors and business were invited to have their say on Derby City Council’s new Ambition document which outlined ideas for a bold, transformational vision for the city centre.
North Riverside
The University of Derby architectural students presented their masterplan concepts for a redevelopment of North Riverside to create a new city centre destination and vibrant community.
Culture Derby
Culture Derby hosted an exhibition to refine plans, engage with stakeholders and gather feedback on immediate activity and long-term, cultural vision for the city.
FORMAT International Photography Festival
Throughout FORMAT, he lab hosted an exhibition called The Sustainable Photobook – and be home to SPP’s Case Study Reading Room, which seeks to engage photobook makers and consumers in a discussion about sustainability.
Derby Book Festival: Children’s Book Drop
Derby City Lab hosted a children’s book drop, as part of the Derby Book Festival week. Over 800 books were collected and distributed across the city to local school and to those that need them most.
ARTCORE: Building Bridges
The exhibition featured the work of artists from both Derby and Osnabrück and aimed to serve as a bridge between the two communities.
The exhibition of artwork followed an international residency in Osnabrück and Artcore Gallery in Derby
CRZyBest & Friends at Derby City Lab
The Lab was home to some of the city’s most talented creatives, as over 16 businesses displayed and sold their work. Demonstrations and hands-on workshops were also on offer.
Rams Heritage Trust: Back from the Brink – Derby County, A Year On
The exhibition explored the club’s turbulent recent history through contemporary objects, images and supporter testimony, with an emphasis on the special position Derby County holds within the city and how a fanbase united to help save their club from extinction.
Artcore: Cultural Threads
The project celebrated the diversity of Derby through free paintmaking and pottery sessions. The event concluded with a showcase of work with Diwali celebrations.
Derby Book Festival: Autumn Children’s Book Drop
After the success of the previous event, Derby City Lab hosted a second children’s book drop, as part of the Derby Book Festival Autumn Edition. Hundreds of books were collected and distributed across the city to local schools and to those that need them most.
North Riverside – Masterplans 2024
The University of Derby architectural students displayed a range of posters and models sharing their visions for a new city centre destination.
The visions fully exploited the riverside setting, improving the quality of green spaces whilst presenting a vibrant waterfront pedestrian realm within the heart of the city.
Derby City Centre Design Guide Consultation
The Derby City Council consultation gathered views on the new guide, which outlines a vision for a vibrant and sustainable city centre. The consultation included a number drop-in sessions where council officers were present.
Derby Book Festival: Autumn Children’s Book Drop
The Lab was proud to support once again support Derby Book Festival’s Children’s Book Drop. 109 books were donated at the Lab on this occasion, which were distributed to encourage a new generation of readers.
University of Derby Architecture Students
This exhibition saw students present their masterplan concepts for the redevelopment of North Riverside.
The visions featured the creation of a new city centre destination and a vibrant community offering new employment opportunities within a highly sustainable, high-quality mixed-use development.
Derby Station Quarter Interim Planning Guidance Consultation
The Lab hosted a consultation that sought views on planning guidance that could help pave the way for the potential regeneration of an area around Derby’s railway station.
Derbion Masterplan Consultation
Derbion exhibited their updated plans for the potential development of three key sites within its Derby city centre footprint.
Derby Market Place: ‘Derby Made’ Consultation
The Lab hosed a consultation on plans for a visionary new, multi-use community building on the site of the former Assembly Rooms.
Local Government Reorganisation Consultation
The Lab hosted a consultation on the future delivery of local council services, part of the biggest change to local government in 50 years.
