A new partnership bringing together communities, researchers, businesses and policymakers came together in the heart of Nottingham’s Broad Marsh redevelopment area yesterday, as Connect Nottingham officially launched.
Developed through collaboration between the University of Nottingham, Nottingham City Council and Homes England, Connect Nottingham creates a new place where people can engage directly with research and consultations, share knowledge and ideas, and take part in conversations about the future of Nottingham and the wider East Midlands.
The new space and programme marks a significant milestone for the city and for the partnership behind it, with Connect Nottingham becoming the first part of the Broad Marsh redevelopment zone to open – providing a visible sign of the transformation under way in the city centre.
The launch represents the latest step in a shared ambition for Broad Marsh and reflects the significant contribution of all those involved in bringing Connect Nottingham to this point. Each partner has brought different expertise, perspectives and connections to the work, helping to create a space designed to connect research, communities, policy and business.
The unveiling was attended by Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands; Councillor Neghat Khan, Leader of Nottingham City Council; Jo Nugent, Executive Regional Director for the Midlands at Homes England; and Professor Tom Rodden, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Nottingham.
Professor Rodden said: “Connect Nottingham is about bringing research closer to the people and places it can make a difference to. It creates an accessible space where communities can engage with researchers, share their knowledge and help shape the questions we explore. It is also a fantastic example of what can be achieved through partnership to create new opportunities for collaboration.”
Bringing people and research together
Located on Middle Pavement in the Broad Marsh redevelopment area, Connect Nottingham will unite three strands of activity: Café Connect, the Nottingham Urban Room and City as Lab. Together, they create a platform for communities, researchers, local government, businesses and practitioners to share knowledge and work on challenges facing the city and region.
Café Connect will provide a welcoming space where people and ideas come together to participate in research. Breaking down barriers between communities and universities, it creates opportunities for local people to meet researchers, explore topics that matter to them, and contribute their experiences to research projects.
While the Nottingham Urban Room will provide a public-facing space for conversations about the past, present and future of the city. Strengthening collective thinking about the evolution of Nottingham, the Urban Room will provide opportunity for dialogue about the ‘Nottingham Vision,’ among other topics.
City as Lab will continue its work using data and digital innovation to support place-based research. Building on collaborative projects with diverse partners in the city, City as Lab will use geo-visualisation and other data tools to help communities, researchers and policymakers understand complex issues, from climate change, public health and neighbourhood belonging, through to regional innovation and economic growth.
All three programmes will make use of Connect Nottingham’s creative collaborative space and Digital Visualisation Studio, featuring the Weston Immersive Room and the award-winning Projection Augmented Relief Model (PARM) of Nottingham developed in partnership between the University of Nottingham and Nottingham City Council.
Dr Rebecca Ford, Academic Director of Café Connect, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Garfield Weston Foundation for their generous support. Their investment has helped us create a welcoming space where communities and researchers can come together, as well as the Weston Immersive Room, a unique multi-sensory environment designed to spark curiosity, encourage participation and bring research to life. Together, these facilities will help more people contribute their ideas, experiences and expertise to research that matters.”
Professor Paul Grainge, Academic Director of City as Lab, added: “The PARM is wonder-inspiring and shows how 3D technology can translate spatial data into locally resonant stories and scenarios that are accessible and engaging. Bringing it into Connect Nottingham will enable people to explore the city, ask questions and think differently about the places where they live and work.”
A partnership for the future
The project builds on a longstanding relationship between the University of Nottingham and Nottingham City Council, with Homes England also playing a key role in restoring and developing the building.
Councillor Neghat Khan, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “This is great news and I’m really excited to see this part of the Broad Marsh site being used in such a productive way. It will bring more people to the area and supports the recent improvements we’ve seen from partners investing in properties on Bridlesmith Gate.
“Our collaboration with the university on City as Lab and Urban Room has developed over a number of years, and now with the support of colleagues at Homes England we’ve been able to revamp and reimagine this redundant office space in Severns House.”
Capital funding has principally been sourced from Homes England, the University of Nottingham and Nottingham City Council, alongside a generous charitable grant awarded by the Garfield Weston Foundation. Operational support has been drawn from UK Research and Innovation’s Higher Education Innovation Funding programme.
Jo Nugent, Executive Regional Director for the Midlands at Homes England, said: “We are making enormous progress at Broad Marsh and as part of that work I am proud to see Connect Nottingham open on the site, as a place for the people of Nottingham. We helped restore 20 Middle Pavement to provide Connect Nottingham with a space to bring people together to talk about the future of the city.
“Connect Nottingham gives Broad Marsh a public front door for the first time in years. Alongside our partners, we are looking forward to being part of the conversations that will take place here about the future of this great city.”
The space also features a commissioned artwork by Nottingham artist Natalie Coe, with her work located above the Digital Visualisation Studio and on the windows of the collaboration space.
Connect Nottingham is rooted in Nottingham, but its ambition extends across the East Midlands and beyond, creating opportunities to connect local knowledge and research with wider conversations about innovation, place and the future of communities.