Sheffield shortlisted for City of the Year

Sheffield has been shortlisted for City of the Year in the annual EG awards following a joint entry by Sheffield City Council and the Sheffield Property Association, highlighting why the city’s unexpected liveability is unrivalled amongst its Core City peers. 

EG - industry experts specialising in data, intelligence and development in the commercial real estate sector - announced the shortlisted candidates last Thursday, across a range of award categories, with Sheffield in the running for City of the Year, along with Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool and Newcastle. 

The new award for 2021 seeks to celebrate the UK’s cities and the work they are doing to create liveable, successful places. Similarly to the city itself, Sheffield’s bid was inventive, inclusive and unexpected and caught the judges attention, focusing on its key strengths; Sheffield’s people and liveability.

Considering Sheffield’s collective strengths across all sectors, pitching for City of the Year came naturally. The bid forcing judges to ask where else could you go and find pioneers in innovation, creativity, culture, digital technology, education and advanced research and manufacturing, as well as being inclusive, multiculturally diverse, kind and welcoming, up for anything and quietly getting on with it.

And the contrast doesn’t stop there; Sheffield brings the perfect balance and collaboration between urban and outdoors. Brutalist architecture and modern cityscapes are offset with more than 60% of the city’s landscape proudly set in outdoor green space, with the Peak District National Park as its backyard.

The submission took the panel on a walk around the city highlighting:

• The University of Sheffield’s Diamond building, the symbolic home of the largest income and investment in engineering research in the UK
• The incredible £500m, council backed Heart of the City redevelopment scheme, where we are reviving forgotten mesters courtyards with hospitality, welcoming Raddisson Blu, and combining residential, office, coworking, and retail to make a liveable city centre that is being done on an incredibly ambitious scale
• Parkwood Springs for which we have just received £1.25m funding to create trails and a visitor destination
• Kelham Island, an old home of industry that built the Brooklyn Bridge, but became derelict for a long period following the decline of industry. However, it’s now a thriving cultural hub of brewers, makers, artists, foodies and soon boutique hotel visitors, with loads of mixed use residential, retail, hospitality and office space
• Phase 2 of the Grey to Green project, beautifully landscaped during lockdown to pedestrianise and beautify this space
• The site of the only Olympic Legacy Park in the world in a non-Olympic hosting city. Already boasting the English Institute of Sport, a University Technical College site and location of a Junior Park Run, it now also hosts Sheffield Hallam University's Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) with its specialised accelerator programme and will be home to the world's first Centre for Child Health Technology.

Councillor Terry Fox, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “It’s fantastic to be shortlisted for City of the Year against other leading UK core cites, recognising Sheffield’s all-encompassing strengths, our people and our place, that make us stand out from the rest.

“Our bid highlights just how special the city is and that’s why we invited EG to come on a walk with us, to see for themselves the collective qualities of Sheffield and the many benefits of living here. 

“Whatever you want to be or do, you can in Sheffield. From innovation and creativity to outdoors adventure and cutting-edge architecture we do have it all. We’re constantly developing, planning, evolving and growing in ways that enhance our natural assets but create opportunity.

“We embrace people, we’re kind, inclusive, welcoming and friendly, and we celebrate and encourage diversity creating rich cultures across our communities. We’re also pretty modest, quietly getting on with the job, but this is not a time for modesty, and I want to shout about all the things that undoubtedly make Sheffield City of the Year."

The award is one of 21 categories, with winners being announced at an award ceremony on Thursday 28 October 2021.