On July 13-14, the sixth Ukrainian Urban Forum was held in Chernivtsi. The forum brought together researchers, activists, volunteers, representatives of public authorities, international institutions, and all those interested in the equitable and sustainable development of Ukrainian cities.

The main theme of this year’s forum was “Society and Space“. We talked about the relationship between social and spatial development of Ukrainian cities. The Forum’s overarching themes were the improvement of housing policy and the development of social housing in Ukraine, planning for an inclusive and sustainable urban future, mobility and public transport, and the prospects for the development of education in urban studies and planning.

The first day’s events included:

  • The panel “Society and Space: Present and Future of Ukrainian Cities” outlined the key issues of the Forum. We talked about how different experiences of people during the war affect our society, why, by implementing barrier-free access for veterans with disabilities, we are actually taking care of everyone, and how the issue of access to housing and the need for social housing has become urgent.
  • The second discussion was devoted to urban planning in times of war. The main challenges faced by urban planners are primarily the issue of uncertainty at the strategic level, the current security situation during planning activities, and weak coordination within local governments. That is why the sustainability and flexibility of documents, such as concepts and programs, are at the forefront.
  • Decolonization and Urban Space: Rethinking the ‘National Heritage’ and Representation of Memory, a panel on why it is important to rethink the colonial past and how the change in the symbolic landscape has intensified with the war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine in 2014, took place.

Watch the stream of the first day of the Forum:

On the second day of the Forum:

  • In the morning, a walk on a retro trolleybus with a visit to the trolleybus depot took place, as well as a tour of the reconstructed spaces of Chernivtsi, and a movie screening.
  • Full-scale war exacerbates existing experiences of vulnerability and creates new challenges. During the discussion “Gender-Sensitive Recovery: Policies and Practices,” the speakers spoke, in particular, about the importance of taking into account the interests of less privileged groups in the recovery and reconstruction process.
  • When creating or reconstructing public spaces, it is important to take into account the interests and visions of the users of these spaces. How does a person act in the space? Is it comfortable for them? Field research and the participation of residents and experts in public discussions and consultations help to find answers to these questions. These are the conclusions of the discussion “Squares, streets and green areas: public spaces and how to create them”.
  • The current state of urban education determines what kind of cities we will live in tomorrow. We talked about what urban education programs exist in Ukraine and why there is a lack of professionals who can plan urban development..

Watch the stream of the first day of the Forum:

From September 12 to 14, the Ukrainian Urban Forum hosted a workshop titled “Rethinking the Station Square in Chernivtsi”. During the workshop, under the mentorship of experienced architects, urban planners, and researchers, the participants were able to develop a vision for the future renovation project. The main task was to find human-centered, participatory, and sustainable solutions.

Another workshop that the Forum participants could attend was “Society and Space: How to research cities”. This workshop was a platform to learn about different methods of urban research and their impact on practice, to share experiences and consider real cases of work in wartime.

This year’s forum was held with the support of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung Ukraine. The main local partner is Chernivtsi City Council. The main media partner is the urban platform Mistosite. Among this year’s forum partners are UN-Habitat, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine, and Ukraine – the Netherlands Urban Network (UNUN).

The programme of this year’s Forum can be found here.

Check out the photos from the Ukrainian Urban Forum 2024: bit.ly/4e9XTDx

Photos by: Карина Новак, SaVa.