From political shifts and cultural achievements to plush new buildings and sporting triumphs, here are nine examples that give a snapshot of the ways the city has altered since the turn of the new Millennium.
1. A better welcome
One of the most noticeable changes - for residents and, for that matter, anyone arriving in Sheffield - has been the redevelopment of Sheaf Square outside the railway station, which turned what was a forbidding environment into a very pleasant space with water features and the Cutting Edge stainless steel sculpture. This opened in 2006. Photo: Andrew Roe
2. Expansion of the arts
The Millennium Gallery - part of the original Heart of the City project - opened in April 2001. Its large special exhibition space was designed to accommodate major touring exhibitions from national partners such as the V&A and Tate. Photo: Museums Sheffield
3. Earning a place on the festival map
The Tramlines music festival transformed summertime in Sheffield from 2009 onwards. Students began to return to the city with friends to attend, and the event quickly gained a reputation as having an excellent lineup for the ticket price. Over time it has evolved from a free festival with a sprawling fringe element to a paid affair, eventually relocating out of the city centre to Hillsborough Park to attract bigger artists. Photo: JPIMedia
4. Grounded
Sheffield City Airport, in Tinsley Park near the M1, closed in 2008. It launched in 1997 and was intended to open up the skies to business travellers locally - Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which came along less than a decade later in 2005, has had more success. Photo: Andrew Partridge