Launching in early 2026, the new urban observatory will act as a central hub, gathering and sharing important data about Loughborough and providing interactive insights about the town and its communities. 

The five successful projects will provide new insights and data to support the observatory’s development. Bringing together expertise from across the University, they will explore: 

• How newcomers to Loughborough develop a sense of belonging and community 

• The impact of lighting levels on physical activity and active travel  

• Local perspectives on the design of streets, public spaces and buildings to inform the development of a new design code 

• The creation of an interactive digital trail connecting the University, the town and Charnwood Forest Geopark 

• A local trial of TraffEase AI – an accessible platform that uses artificial intelligence to provide predictive traffic analytics. 

The Impact Hub is part of Healthy and Innovative Loughborough, a £2.46million government-funded initiative that aims to create jobs, support new businesses and enhance community health and wellbeing. 

 Anyone interested in finding out more can visit the Impact Hub’s website or contact the project team by email.