Integrated Urban Development in Ukraine
Project description
Title: Integrated Urban Development in Ukraine II
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)
Country: Ukraine
Lead executing agency: Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine
Overall term: 2019 to 2023
Context
In 2014, in what is referred to as the ‘Revolution of Dignity’, the Ukrainian people demonstrated for more democracy. Since then, the Ukrainian Government has launched numerous reforms in the areas of decentralisation and local self-government, which have strengthened cities’ responsibility for tasks and improved their available resources. Nevertheless, urban service provision and infrastructures are frequently inadequate. Firstly, there is no national framework for integrated urban development to provide orientation for government and urban actors. Secondly, many Ukrainian cities have not yet succeeded in coordinating measures in urban areas of action, in achieving a consensus among stakeholders involved through participation formats and in increasing the effectiveness of public funds by bundling resources. With a view to meeting these challenges, Ukrainian cities are increasingly seeking the approach of ‘integrated urban development’. Planning in accordance with this concept promotes sustainable development, a social balance and social diversity. If this is not achieved, it will be difficult to attain cultural and structural building quality and economic growth.
Objective
The prerequisites for implementing integrated urban development have improved in accordance with the Leipzig Charter and the 2030 Agenda. In eight Ukrainian cities, citizens participate in development processes. The cities plan their development for the long term, sustainably and with the focus on citizens. The living conditions in the cities are improved.
Approach
On behalf of the German Government and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the project works to improve living conditions in the cities of Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi, Poltava, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Kharkiv and Melitopol, and in Podil, a district of Kyiv. It does this based on the experience and impacts of the predecessor project. Together with international and national experts, it is helping to create the conditions for implementing integrated urban development policy by consolidating and optimising urban management structures and procedures, and by planning urban infrastructure projects. A learning network enables people to share experiences and use these to improve the policy framework in the national political process. The project therefore also supports its partners in contributing to the 2030 Agenda, especially Sustainable Development Goals 9, 11 and 16.
Results
The project builds on the predecessor project ‘Integrated Urban Development in Ukraine’ in which more than 2,100 employees from the partner cities participated between 2016 and 2019 in seminars in the ‘Qualification 2030’ training programme. The training courses have strengthened cooperation, communication and coordination and improved the knowledge of participants with regard to municipal waste management, urban mobility and project management. The cities have developed formats for the participation of the population and invite citizens to get involved. Citizen information centres provide information about initiatives and citizens have worked together with the city to set development priorities that have been laid out in integrated urban development concepts. Within four years, more than 58,000 people participated in numerous public events. In addition, education and further training opportunities for urban planners have improved. For example, an international exchange semester for urban development is offered with a German university of applied sciences. Two white papers and a concept for restructuring administration in the construction sector have been submitted to the partner ministry, marking the starting point for further improvement of the political framework.
