Editing Sheffield (section)

===21st century===
Sheffield is changing rapidly as new projects regenerate some of the more run-down parts of the city. One such, the ''Heart of the City Project'', with £470&nbsp;million investment,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://heartofsheffield.co.uk/|title=Home|website= Heart of Sheffield|accessdate=25 February 2025}}</ref> has initiated a number of public works in the city centre: the [[Peace Gardens]] were renovated in 1998, the [[Millennium Galleries|Millennium Gallery]] opened in April 2001, the [[Sheffield Winter Gardens|Winter Gardens]] were opened in May 2003, and a public space to link these two areas, the [[Millennium Square (Sheffield)|Millennium Square]], was opened in May 2006. Additional developments included the remodelling of [[Sheaf Square]], in front of the refurbished railway station: the square contains "The Cutting Edge", a sculpture designed by Si Applied Ltd<ref>{{cite web |url=http://public-art.shu.ac.uk/sheffield/kni420.html |title=SI (Chris Knight, Keith Tyssen and Brett Payne) with Keiko Mukaide 'Cutting Edge', 2006 |access-date=15 March 2007 |work=Public Art Research Archive |publisher=Sheffield Hallam University |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110316114003/http://public-art.shu.ac.uk/sheffield/kni420.html |archive-date=16 March 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> and made from Sheffield steel. Recent development known as the 'Heart of the City' includes the restoration of the listed Leah's Yard complex.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy0rvnvgjwqo |title=New independent retail hub opens its doors |work=BBC News |last=Modak |first=Naj |date=24 August 2024}}</ref>

Sheffield was particularly hard hit during the [[2007 United Kingdom floods]] and the [[Winter of 2009-2010 in the United Kingdom|2010 'Big Freeze']]. Many landmark buildings such as Meadowhall and the [[Hillsborough Stadium]] flooded due to being close to rivers that flow through the city. In 2010, 5,000 properties in Sheffield were identified as still being at risk of flooding. In 2012 the city narrowly escaped another flood, despite extensive work by the Environment Agency to clear local river channels since the 2007 event. In 2014 Sheffield Council's cabinet approved plans to further reduce the possibility of flooding by adopting plans to increase water catchment on tributaries of the River Don.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-29245851 |title=£55m flood scheme plans backed |date=17 September 2014 |work=BBC News |access-date=2 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106214822/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-29245851 |archive-date=6 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.floodprotectionsheffield.com/pages/foreword |title=Foreword {{!}} Protecting Sheffield from Flooding |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103055647/http://www.floodprotectionsheffield.com/pages/foreword |archive-date=3 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/289379/River_Don_Catchment_Flood_Management_Plan.pdf |title=River Don Catchment Flood Management Plan |date=December 2010 |website=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |access-date=2 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004919/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/289379/River_Don_Catchment_Flood_Management_Plan.pdf |archive-date=3 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[2019–20 United Kingdom floods#Sheffield|Another flood hit the city in 2019]], resulting in shoppers being contained in Meadowhall Shopping Centre.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sheffield flooding: Torrential rain leaves city flooded |work=BBC News |date=8 November 2019 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-50333233 |access-date=12 July 2020 |archive-date=28 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128084103/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-50333233 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Gillett |first=Francesca |title=UK flooding: Dozens spend night in Sheffield Meadowhall shopping centre |work=BBC News |date=8 November 2019 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50341846 |access-date=12 July 2020 |archive-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108232639/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50341846 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Between 2014 and 2018, there were [[Sheffield tree felling protests|disputes]] between the city council and residents over the fate of the city's 36,000 highway trees. Around 4,000 highway trees have since been felled as part of the 'Streets Ahead' [[Private Finance Initiative]] (PFI) contract signed in 2012 by the city council, [[Amey plc]] and the [[Department for Transport]] to maintain the city streets.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kirby |first=Dean |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/sheffield-residents-in-bitter-row-with-council-over-tree-felling-proposals-a6698471.html |title=Sheffield residents are involved bitter row with the council over tree-felling |work=The Independent |access-date=17 November 2015 |date=17 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118085113/http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/sheffield-residents-in-bitter-row-with-council-over-tree-felling-proposals-a6698471.html |archive-date=18 November 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> The tree fellings have resulted in many arrests of residents and other protesters across the city even though most felled trees in the city have been replanted, including those historically felled and not previously replanted.<ref>{{cite web |title=New trees take root on Sheffield highways |url=http://www.sheffieldnewsroom.co.uk/newstreettreestakeroot/ |website=Sheffield News Room |publisher=Sheffield City Council |access-date=6 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207005324/http://www.sheffieldnewsroom.co.uk/newstreettreestakeroot/ |archive-date=7 February 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The protests eventually stopped in 2018 after the council paused the tree felling programme as part of a new approach developed by the council for the maintenance of street trees in the city.<ref>{{cite news |last=Halliday |first=Josh |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/26/sheffield-council-pauses-tree-felling-scheme-after-criticism |title=Sheffield council pauses tree-felling scheme after criticism |date=26 March 2018 |work=The Guardian |access-date=20 August 2021 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=30 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830105004/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/26/sheffield-council-pauses-tree-felling-scheme-after-criticism |url-status=live }}</ref>

In May 2022, Sheffield was named a "[[Tree Cities of the World|Tree City of the World]]" in recognition of its work to sustainably manage and maintain urban forests and trees.<ref>{{cite news |date=17 May 2022 |title=Sheffield wins Tree City of the World accolade |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-61479873 |access-date=18 May 2022 |archive-date=18 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518022216/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-61479873 |url-status=live }}</ref> This honour was given before the release of the independent inquiry's report on the so-called "Sheffield Chainsaw Massacre". The report concluded that "thousands of healthy and loved trees were lost. Many more could have been" and was critical of Sheffield City Council. The latter issued this statement on receipt of the report: "the council has already acknowledged that it got many things wrong in the handling of the street-trees dispute, and we wish to reiterate our previous apologies for our failings".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/news/the-sheffield-chainsaw-massacre-inquiry-report-227-pages-of-dishonesty-and-shocking-behaviour-253655 |title=The 'Sheffield Chainsaw Massacre' inquiry report: 227 pages of dishonesty and shocking behaviour |date=22 March 2023 |work=Country Life |access-date=23 March 2023 |quote=}}</ref>