Derby City Council, in collaboration with Planit and the University of Derby, were developing a new Public Realm Strategy to reimagine the city centre’s public spaces. The initiative aimed to create a vibrant, inclusive, and connected urban environment that reflects the needs and aspirations of Derby’s residents, businesses, and visitors.
A series of workshops were hosted at venues which explored people’s experiences of Derby City Centre, how they moved through it, and how they felt about its spaces. Each session includes key questions, visual presentations, and mapping activities.
Five workshops were held across Derby:
We engaged with 236 members of the public and gathered recommendations that strongly support a greener, safer, more connected, and more humane city centre.
This helped to introduce a framework of thematic routes designed to stitch together the city’s existing urban fabric. These routes build on Derby’s strengths, address its current challenges, and highlight opportunities for improvement. Inspired by the city’s heritage of making and innovation, the strategy uses SILK threads: connectivity, inclusivity, biodiversity, and cultural celebration to guide future design thinking.
The public engagement strategy design culminated in a major Public Realm installation on Saturday 10 January, 2026 (image above). The installation brought the strategy to life in an accessible, interactive format for the public. The set‑up created an open and welcoming space where visitors could pass through and explore the developing Public Realm Strategy and contribute their own ideas.
The installation showcased:
To make the experience family‑friendly and hands‑on, children and adults were invited to build their own LEGO pieces representing Derby and place them onto a giant map of the city. This playful activity encouraged people of all ages to think about how they move through Derby, what they value, and what they would like to see improved.
Planit – Planit‑IE is a regenerative, interdisciplinary design practice working across five UK studios, focused on creating people‑centred, nature‑positive places through landscape architecture, urban design, and strategic placemaking. Their work blends purpose‑driven design with long‑term stewardship, supported by a collaborative studio culture and a commitment to restoring balance between people, place, and nature.
Derby City Council is a unitary authority responsible for all major local government services within the city, and it is currently developing a new urban design strategy with specialist consultancy Planit. The Council is also inviting the public to help shape the proposals. The Council has commissioned Planit, a specialist urban design consultancy known for work in cities such as Sheffield, Bradford, Manchester, and Leeds, to develop a new strategy for Derby’s future urban environment. The Designing Dialogue team and Planit worked with the City Council’s Regeneration Manager Paul Page-Smith.
S.H.E.D pop up: Help shape the future of Derby city centre’s public spaces – Derby City Council
Public Consultation: Have your say on how the city’s public spaces could look in the future – Derby City Council
