Sustainable rebuilding of Ukrainian cities
The pilot project ‘Sustainable rebuilding of Ukrainian cities’ is a Eurocities initiative to mobilise local partnerships for a sustainable reconstruction of Ukrainian cities. In the first pilot phase, authors matched 36 Eurocities member cities with 10 Ukrainian cities and agglomeration areas to run a series of capacity-building workshops with Ukrainian cities and in collaboration with the Association of Ukrainian Cities.
The project intended to understand needs, test working methods, and produce a reconstruction blueprint guided by climate neutrality and sustainable development practices, closely mirroring the objectives of the European Green Deal and the principles of the New European Bauhaus.
The overall aim of the project is to pave the way for a sustainable urban reconstruction of Ukrainian cities by :
Mobilising expertise through city-to-city peer-learning and capacity building to assist Ukrainian cities in rebuilding better and promoting sustainable and inclusive urban reconstruction.
Consolidating knowledge, preparing, and disseminating tools and methodologies to assist Ukrainian cities in initiating sustainable reconstruction projects, including identification of EU funding opportunities, direct financial assistance, and private sector investments.
Building a community of practice and strengthening sustainability partnerships between EU and Ukrainian cities, ensuring coherence with similar projects and broader reconstruction plans (G7, EU coordination platform).
The result of the project’s work presents Ukrainian cities with a range of practices from other European cities that can inspire the development of comprehensive recovery and development strategies, boost funding opportunities and further develop partnerships between cities and other stakeholders.
The paper is structured along five main entry points that are critical for sustainable rebuilding: integrated urban planning, clean energy and energy efficiency, disaster risk reduction and resilience building, circularity, and sustainable urban mobility.