Why design code?
On the streets of our cities, trivial inconveniences and visual chaos are not an exception, but rather commonplace. The responsibility for them lies with the local authorities and the residents themselves. Are there effective tools to unlock the city's potential, make it safer, more beautiful and comfortable for life? Yes, and that design codes, the so-called municipal design guidelines. They represent a comprehensive approach to visual arrangement and work on the aesthetics of the city's appearance. Of course, not for the sake of feeling beautiful. The goal is very practical: to make the use of the city and its infrastructure more accessible and convenient.
In Ukraine, the term "design code" appeared relatively recently and is still quite underused both at the level of performers and users. However, in European countries, these standards exist and have been used for several centuries. So, for the first time in London, the design code was applied during the reconstruction of the city after the Great Fire of 1666. At the time, this code of rules was aimed at restoring the city's infrastructure and establishing standards of safety and sanitation, in particular the act of 1667 referred to the need to widen some roads and areas of the city in general. To decongest the main streets, special places were allocated for markets and for holding public events, spaces were also additionally cleared between the existing residential buildings. The design code of the then new London for the first time classified and harmonized such concepts as building types and streets, comprehensively considering their interaction in the urban space.
London has some of the strictest regulations in the world for the placement of advertising structures, so that the appearance of facades is not cluttered with visual "noise". Photo: Jacob Smith
The capital of the United Kingdom still adheres to the regulated rules of the design code, which now extends to the lighting of public spaces, signs, landscaping, navigation and more. There are some of the strictest regulations in the world regarding the placement of advertising structures, so that the appearance of the facades is not cluttered with visual "noise", and considerable fines are levied for non-compliance with the rules.
Shares the opinion about the attractiveness of London as one of the visually comfortable cities and Maxim Golovko, architect and co-founder of the urban projects office "Urbanina" and the NGO "Agents of Change":
"In my opinion, London is one of the most aesthetically pleasing cities because it has the longest tradition of quality urban design that has been implemented for more than a century, and the city is so meticulous about its own appearance that even telephone booths have become an important element of urban design, recognizable throughout the world. Even in the design of public transport, they involve the best specialists, for example, during the redesign of iconic double-decker buses," Maksym Golovko notes.
"In my opinion, London is one of the most aesthetic cities, as it has the longest tradition of high-quality urban design," — Maksym Golovko
Maksym Golovko, architect and co-founder of the urban projects office "Urbanina" and NGO "Agents of Change"
If we are talking about cities and districts that already exist, then new design codes for them are created on the basis of the already existing visual code of the urban space. It applies to almost all the infrastructure that makes the city alive:
- public areas (parks, squares, sidewalks, public transport stops, parking lots);
- navigation (elements of street, road and bicycle infrastructure);
- landscaping (street lighting, outdoor advertising, information signs);
- temporary buildings;
- small architectural forms;
- landscaping elements.
In Berlin, up to five types of tiles are used, the different texture of which perfectly demarcates the space and helps people with visual impairments to navigate. Photo: bicycledutch
For example, in Berlin, a lot of attention is paid to navigation capabilities at the level of paving, pavement and road surface. Up to five types of tiles are used here, the different texture of which perfectly demarcates the space and helps people with visual impairments to navigate. Seamless tiles are used for bicycle paths, fine smooth tiles for pedestrians, and coarser ones for demarcating zones. Gravel is used around the trees so as not to injure the roots.
In the Dutch city of Middelburg, the division into pedestrian and car zones is carried out thanks to colors: a gray strip in the center and an orange one at the edges. The color indicates where and for whom there is a path. For example, a pedestrian can pass through a narrow residential block by shortening the path, but motorists will not be able to pass there. This technique is an effective visual marker, it regulates the number of cars in residential areas well.
Design code is an effective tool for improving security. In those European cities, where there is still a high level of crime, it is helped to correct the correct lighting and infrastructure adapted to security requirements.
For example, in some cities in Germany, street benches are placed not along the road, but at an angle to it, thanks to which they open a wider perspective of the street, and thus it is under surveillance. In Austria, raising the level of the carriageway near bus stops and correct road lighting maps have significantly reduced the number of road accidents.
More than 40% of Copenhagen's residents use bicycles to get to work every day, and the total length of the city's cycle paths is 350 km. Photo: Getty
For many years in a row, Copenhagen has been recognized as one of the safest cities in the world. In 2023, according to The Economist publication, it took second place in the ranking of the most comfortable cities to live in, after Vienna. For comparison, the capital of Ukraine was ranked 165th by experts. The level of safety in Copenhagen's urban spaces is influenced, in particular, by its status as the bicycle capital of the world. More than 480 people (40% of residents) get to work by bicycle every day, the total length of city bicycle paths is 350 km. It is worth noting that the urban and suburban transport network is also well developed, including high-speed trains, the metro and buses. Therefore, local residents often prefer public transport or bicycles, minimizing the use of cars. This also has a good effect on environmental indicators.
In 2023, according to the publication The Economist, Copenhagen took second place in the ranking of the most comfortable cities to live in, after Vienna
One of the main factors that contributed to the high attractiveness of Copenhagen is the use of a collective city management model. It is based on smart municipal planning with the involvement of the community, which participates in decision-making at all stages of the process.
Dam Square is the central square of the capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam
In his personal rating, Maksym Golovko gives Copenhagen, as well as the cities of Leipzig and Amsterdam, the palm of the championship.
"These cities were the first among others to understand the importance of the comfort and safety of citizens for their own development. Therefore, they have been implementing solutions for decades that make public space safe and comfortable for those who need it the most: people with limited mobility, children and their parents, people with disabilities. They distribute the flow of pedestrians and motorists, light the streets, clean the underpasses, activate the facades with restaurants and shops on the first floors of the buildings, open new parks and squares, limit the height of buildings," explains the architect.
Ukrainian practice
In Ukraine, public demand for the emergence of a design code in cities has already been formed, but the government sector only partially takes care of this issue. Certain changes were achieved thanks to architects and urban planners, activists, and public organizations.
One of these is the NGO "Agents of Change". Created by a community of designers, the organization aims to shape the urban environment and communication in it, basing its activities on respect for people, inclusiveness and openness of space.
The issue of the development of a modern, comfortable city is being worked out by the "Urbanina" city projects office. In their work, the creation of a handbook on urban reconstruction, the study of urban spaces and neighborhoods, the development of an online map of the trees of the center of Kyiv, the creation of an accessibility symbol that can replace the international sign with a person in a wheelchair, proposals for the redesign of plaques to mark cultural heritage monuments, etc. .
"Urbanina" developed a new symbol of accessibility, with which it won a competition from The International Union of Architects and Rehabilitation International. Photo: urbanyna.com
Maksym Golovko says: "If "Agents of Change" was more of a design story, then "Urbanina" is aimed at the reconstruction of public space and architectural changes in cities. Urban development is not about expanding housing stock or building more roads. This is primarily when the needs of the community are met."
The process of implementing design codes in Ukrainian cities is not moving as systematically and quickly as we would like. A cursory sampling of the search query "design code of Ukrainian cities" on the network introduces some cases: "In Dnipro, a design code for detached advertising structures was developed", "For Cherkasy, a new design code for signs was developed", "In Khmelnytskyi, a design code was approved streets". There are not so many of them yet, but they are there.
But it is not enough to develop, it is also necessary to implement.
Returning to the capital, in Kyiv this role was once taken over by the Ukrainian Association of the Visual Industry, which developed a design code for the city in the form of an order later approved by the Kyiv City Council. In 2017, it limited the placement of outdoor advertising, and in the historical center of the city it was completely banned. According to the project, in a few years, Kyiv got rid of 75% of outdoor advertising in the central part.
In 2021, the KMDA received a petition regarding the introduction of a single design code in the capital, which collected 338 signatures out of 6000 required. This did not allow the townspeople to approach the issue comprehensively, and the struggle continued with the same small steps.
In 2021, 25 illegal advertising signs and structures were dismantled, which was a record compared to previous years, and the amount of fines increased by 87% compared to 2020. The trend of decreasing the number of signs and advertising media continues to this day. For example, in August 2023, more than 1300 structures were dismantled in Kyiv.
In 2021, 25 illegal advertising signs and structures were dismantled in Kyiv, which was a record compared to previous years
Overhaul of Ivan Franko Street in Kyiv. Photo: KMDA
Regarding other cities of Ukraine, as already mentioned, the improvements are more spot-on, they became noticeable during the last few years.
In Odesa in 2015, the initiator of the development of the design code was Oleksandr Levytskyi, author of several information and research city projects, defender of cultural heritage, founder of the NGO "1000 Doors of Odesa". We are about the activities of the public organization wrote on the pages of Pragmatika.
In 2020, employees of the Public Works Inspectorate of the Executive Committee of the Kryvyi Rih City Council held meetings with advertising agencies, advertising producers, and even with heads of building condominiums. Ternopil approved its rules regarding advertising in 2022.
According to Maksym Golovko, design codes are best implemented in Lviv and Dnipro. According to him, it was Lviv that managed to put advertising signs in order, put into use a single system of address signs and pedestrian navigation, and start the process of restoring the facades of old buildings along with original doors and windows. In Dnipro, they developed a single visual style of the city, which is gradually growing into a system of marking buildings and pedestrian navigation; new public spaces appear in the city, which will be able to set new design standards in the future.
Restoration of the historical gate on the central street of Lviv. Before and after. Photo: Heritage Bureau
"In order to rebuild according to new standards, they must first be created. Now we continue to develop our cities according to the approaches and principles that were created in the last century. Therefore, we have terrible consequences: sleeping neighborhoods where nothing happens, dangerous transport highways that cannot be crossed, high-rise buildings that cannot be used without an elevator. There is no network of safe community centers and shelters. We need to develop rules and recommendations that will help us create new sustainable cities that will be safe and comfortable. It is precisely for the restoration of Ukrainian cities and villages using new approaches that we have created a guide to the reconstruction of cities, in which we collected the best global solutions and localized them under our standards," says Maksym Golovko.
A city from scratch. Is there a design code for "newbie" cities?
If the situation with already existing cities and villages is more or less clear, then what can be said about cities that are just starting their way? What principles of creating an aesthetic urban space should be followed, who influences them? We asked the opinion of the authors of the Ukrainian project Vlasne Misto.
Vlasne Misto is an autonomous city-cluster with an area of 450 hectares, designed for 32 thousand residents, which is being created in the suburbs of Kyiv on the territory of the Dmitrivska community. We talked about this innovative project in several materials.
Yaroslav Korniachenko, CEO of Vlasne Misto
CEO Vlasne Misto Yaroslav Korniachenko tells about the fact that an important task of the project is to create a future community of residents who will want to improve the city, treat its resources and infrastructure with respect and use them rationally.
"A project of such a scale as ours is not put into operation at once. This is a process that will take at least 16 years. Are we ready to declare that at least one city in the world has already been put into operation and will not undergo changes in the future? No, the city lives as long as it is able to perceive changes, if not, then it is a museum. Architecture changes with the change of generations and technological development, but the main principles of the comfort of modern cities are based on ecology and people-centeredness. Therefore, every inhabitant of our city will have the opportunity to influence its appearance, even after the completion of construction," Yaroslav Korniyachenko notes.
"This principle of human-centeredness is also the basis of our design code. It directly influenced the choice of lighting, navigation systems, the barrier-free characteristics of the environment, the number of urban green zones that create a single system with green roofs and facades, and the surrounding nature. After long discussions of these tasks with the team, conducting project "research", calculations, as a result, we have a version of the most rational urban standard with its own design code. If desired, it can be adapted for other locations during the reconstruction of Ukraine — stronger, with a stable economy, energy and food security of its regions," says CEO Vlasne Misto.
"The philosophy "stitched" into the project, which influenced the formation of the urban design code, is based on the preservation of the main value - time," - Yaroslav Korniyachenko
According to him, the design codes chosen for Vlasne Misto were also influenced by the desire to preserve the great value of modern human life — time:
"Vlasne Misto is a city of short distances with clear navigation, barrier-free for all its residents. Its layout and infrastructure allow good habits and rituals to be maintained: getting up in the morning and walking for fresh bread and locally grown produce; walk or run in the park. Here everything is nearby, so people will have more quality time, which they can direct in the direction they need. We will give residents the most precious thing - time," continues Yaroslav Korniyachenko.
One of the residential blocks of Vlasne Misto, located next to the school. Visualization provided by the press service of Vlasne Misto
The development of directions for the future economy of the city, the calculation of economic indicators, and the determination of the center of the autonomous cluster influenced how the future operating expenses for the maintenance of the city territory, its buildings, engineering networks, etc., will be rationalized. Secondarily, this was reflected in urban planning, architecture and the choice of building materials, approaches to visual arrangement.
The architectural studio KUDIN architects, the design studio YOD Group and the LAWA bureau worked on the project of the first Ukrainian cluster city together with the team of the Vlasne Misto company. Yaroslav Korniachenko notes the effectiveness of this collaboration.
"While researching the work of various architectural bureaus, I became fascinated by the work of the YOD Group team. I still consider these specialists experts in commercial facilities in the field of hospitality. They also involved specialists from KUDIN architects, who have a high level of expertise in this area, to work on the concept of residential architecture.
In 2022, the young company LAWA joined our team, they offer creative, extraordinary solutions," says Korniyachenko.
Viktor Kudin, founder and chief architect of creative architectural workshop KUDIN architects
Viktor Kudin, the founder and chief architect of the creative architectural workshop KUDIN architects, took a direct part in the creation of the master plan and urban planning works for Vlasne Misto.
He notes: “Vlasne Misto in its usual sense is neither an agglomeration nor a satellite town. The innovativeness of the project lies precisely in its complete autonomy."
And this affects his image.
"Our small towns rarely look unusual. They are similar to each other in that the vast majority of them never had independence. Cities have always been regulated by the state, district, region, etc. And they all created their designs and architecture under the same roof, says the architect. "The best thing we can do now is give autonomy to small towns and villages so that they can develop, have their own small economies and take care of their own heritage."
"Independence creates dissimilarity. A person's independence makes him unlike others. This thesis can be transferred to cities as well." Viktor Kudin
Chief architect of YOD Group Dmytro Dudchenko says: "The main concept of the Vlasne Misto project is to be real, without fakes. Use natural materials (stone, wood, glass) and restrained architecture without unnecessary decorative elements. First of all, we tried to create a self-sufficient sustainable environment where it will be as comfortable as possible to stay and enjoy life. A space that will qualitatively "cover" all human needs. To achieve this, they relied on current urban and architectural techniques, natural local materials."
Dmytro Dudchenko, chief architect of YOD Group
All objects in the Vlasne Misto cluster city have different planning options, but are united by the idea of ecological construction. From the very beginning, architects followed the basic idea of naturalness. For the team, this was both a debut from the point of view of choosing urban planning solutions, and a challenge given the scale of the project.
According to Yaroslav Korniachenko, even at the stage of developing detailed plans of the territories, the team focused on the location itself. The project integrates into the surrounding nature - three lakes and 750 hectares of forest are nearby. The territory of the cluster city under construction is a full-fledged urban unit. In order to start the implementation of the project, the boundaries of the villages of Dmytrivka and Mila were expanded by the decision of the local self-government bodies.
"We think a lot about how to preserve the available natural resources as much as possible and restore the lost ones, to implement urban life next to nature and not harm it. The plans include projects on energy efficiency and preservation of the existing transport network, zero-waste programs for the city's vital activities," says Yaroslav Korniyachenko.
Following one's own "natural" philosophy, according to architect Viktor Kudin, is one of the advantages of the Vlasne Misto project and will have a positive impact on its image and urban aesthetics. "The peculiarity of the project is that we did not chase after innovative materials, instead we used mainly natural ones, with which mankind has been living for a long time: stone, wood, metal. Where possible, Ukrainian raw materials were used. These materials are able to live and age together with a person," he says.
The market square is the central part of Vlasne Misto. Visualization provided by the press service of Vlasne Misto
In cities with a history, the central part grows organically, it is formed over tens and hundreds of years. In European cities, it is usually a town hall square, a market or a large cathedral. In the case of Vlasne Misto, the appearance of the center, its role, landmarks had to be determined.
Victor Kudin explains that the architects and designers wanted Vlasne Misto to have its own history, to be able to create its own myths. There used to be large gardens on the site of the town. Their original iteration will be a tall vertical greenhouse with an observation deck on the roof.
"It will play the role of a visual accent, become a kind of symbol of the future of the city," says Viktor Kudin.
A green recreation area and an urban park will also be located nearby on the town's central Market Square.
We talked more about the architectural and business features of the central part of the Vlasne Misto cluster here.
Aesthetic and practical problems of cities and ways to solve them
The initiative to create, replace and generally use design codes in cities can be born at different levels, from activists or public organizations, as is mostly happening in Ukraine now; from communal enterprises under city councils, for example, from institutes of urban development; administrations, local authorities, the state in general. Their immersion in the discourse and the understanding that these ideas are really important and improve the use of cities gives a greater guarantee that the initiative will not fade away.
Each city or village may have its own individual pains and requests, but one way or another, all decisions about them are approved by self-governing bodies, not by enthusiasts.
Today, in most Ukrainian cities, long-term development strategies are either not sufficiently effective, or are formal or require updating
Unfortunately, today in most Ukrainian cities, long-term development strategies are either not sufficiently effective, or are formal or require updating. Given the realities of war, many of our settlements will need new scenarios for life.
Rynok Square and adjacent streets. Lviv. Photo: Levi Kyiv / Unsplash
In the cities of Central Europe, periods of 20–30 years are established when planning strategies for the development of settlements. Such a rather long time implies a harmonious and sustainable development of the socio-economic sphere of cities, their transport infrastructure, ecology, security, intelligent smart city technologies, etc. It is important for Ukraine that not only the strategies and directions of changes are chosen adequately, but also that their implementation takes place without gaps in time and 180° turns. It's still a bit difficult with this.
Vlasne Misto CEO Yaroslav Korniachenko points to this lack of clear schemes for implementing solutions and long-term planning. According to him, this is one of the key problems of the development of Ukrainian cities. Korniyachenko notes that a number of our cities do not have updated urban planning documents or even approved ones with a clear permanent plan of action for the next 10-20 years. This concerns development, reconstruction, development of the transport network, reformatting of old industrial zones, relocation programs of enterprises from central parts, street certification, control of floor areas, requirements for radius mobile accessibility of educational institutions, etc. According to Yaroslav Korniachenko, the implementation of these codes currently exists only in the field of responsibility of businesses, developers, architects who design and build certain objects or, for example, neighborhoods. But do they all understand that each object should not overload the already created infrastructure and transport networks, should not distort recreational green areas, hinder mobility, but on the contrary should become a useful addition, create new functions and strengthen existing ones? This remains in question.
In the cities of Central Europe, periods of 20–30 years are laid down when planning strategies for the development of settlements
The street of the Vlasne Misto residential quarter. Visualization provided by the press service of Vlasne Misto
So what is lacking in the cities of Ukraine to improve the level of comfort and safety, and how can the design code directly affect this? Next is the direct speech of the invited experts.
Yaroslav Korniachenko focuses attention on the absolute necessity of a design code in Ukrainian cities in the near future, in particular for the preservation of human potential in cities:
"The design code is the defined rules of the visible environment, and it is about the human resource: the more you spend it, the more tiring the city becomes. In my opinion, unfortunately, no city in Ukraine currently has a complete architectural form and design code, only individual blocks of new buildings or blocks with architectural monuments, which are sometimes distorted by interspersed commercial buildings or colorful floors. For me, good examples in this matter are the cities of Copenhagen, Almere, Rotterdam, many small cities in Germany and France.
Architect and urban planner Maxim Golovko is also convinced that Ukrainian cities need clear rules and norms, according to which their development and the order of the existing chaos will take place:
"Conflicts of routes and spaces shared by pedestrians with cyclists and motorists, buildings that are not proportional and do not match in size and scale, facades cluttered with advertising, colorful and disordered street furniture, mismatched decoration materials, cut like a pencil of wood. This is something to work with. System rules, if they are really implemented in cities, can make the space safe, understandable and comfortable," says Golovko.
"System rules, if they are really implemented in cities, are able to make space safe, understandable and comfortable", — Maksym Golovko
Photo: Yevhen Chistyakov / Unsplash
Instead, the chief architect is YOD Group Dmytro Dudchenko, who was the head of the working group during the design of Vlasne Misto, emphasizes the lack of integrity and quality infrastructure of Ukrainian cities:
“From signs and garbage cans to buildings, everything has a chaotic and broken look. There are a lot of extra elements that block and limit you: fences, chaotic MAFs, stairs, curbs, and more. Lack of high-quality drainage, ramps, well-thought-out parking. To improve, it will be enough to simply remove all the excess and take care of the old. Make normal paving with drainage, give each city its own identity, which will be reflected in MAFs, signs, navigation and materials."
Yaroslav Korniyachenko also considers the absence of an effective advertising inspection or police force in Ukraine to be a significant drawback. In his opinion, various municipal administrations are unable to regulate the amount of advertising. In practice, everything turns into a corrupt permit system that does not have clear rules and requirements for appearance. Conditional "limits of responsibility" complicate the process: in one block there can be three structures from the city, and, of course, if there is no one responsible, then no one is responsible.
"What could help is the reform of the legislation regarding the adoption of changes in the general plans and development plans of cities, localities, localities. They should be developed for a longer period. In addition to the main points, they should contain programs for the development of municipal transport networks. "Cities should work with issues related to the prohibition of changes in the category of public lands and green spaces, floor levels within blocks/districts, with a clear urban planning calculation of infrastructural and public facilities, and, in fact, with systematic planning and approved design codes," - believes the CEO Vlasne Misto.
Yaroslav Korniyachenko once again notes that residents and the community should be interested in the formation of the city's design code. They should definitely be involved in discussion, development and implementation. Due to this, people will directly feel their involvement, will be able to defend their own ideas. So it is not a single legislation. City dwellers themselves must understand their responsibility and the power of their voice in creating an image of the spaces that surround them.
The courtyard of one of the residential blocks of Vlasne Misto. Visualization provided by the press service of Vlasne Misto
"It is worth paying attention that today the violators of the "beautiful city" are, in particular, the citizens themselves, who use not the best tools to increase the recognition of their establishment, shop or house. They distinguish buildings with bright colors, large signs, bright lighting, build the tallest structure and violate the architectural integrity of the district or quarter, neglecting the environment. All this is done by the owners of companies, businesses, and even just apartment owners, when they insulate balconies or facades, park on green areas and sidewalks. Therefore, in addition to controlling bodies, we ourselves must change and try to influence, and perhaps reach out to those who do not notice it, - says Korniachenko. — You can improve what is lacking first of all or what catches the eye: deal with advertising and services provided by the city, at least make repairs inside municipal buildings, stop painting curbs, monuments and bridges in yellow and blue, etc. Do something really necessary. To bring the cities to a normal appearance, so that it is comfortable and pleasant to live there."
"Today, the violators of the "beautiful city" are, in particular, the citizens themselves, who use not the best tools to increase the recognition of their establishment, shop or house," - Yaroslav Korniyachenko
Whitewashing of trees and curbs is one of the most common communal "innovations" in Ukraine
Yaroslav Korniachenko and architect Maksym Golovko share their opinion. He believes that the only effective way is to officially approve the rules at the level of city administrations, because only in this case there is a probability that they will really be implemented and supported. However, as the architect notes, often even this is not enough. Therefore, a safe and comfortable city should become a need and demand of the citizens themselves, they would control its development and determine what it should be.
But do all settlements need a design code?
Golovko emphasizes that rules, in particular the design code, are needed in any city and village. This is necessary in order to implement a single reference standard of safety and comfort:
"It is not necessary for everyone to develop their own local rules. For most villages and towns, uniform standards will work, as they will be easier to implement and maintain. For example, the rules for the arrangement of the main street of the village or the rules for the arrangement of old estates. Big cities can create their own design codes in order to implement better and more expensive solutions, to show their local character or to better meet the needs of citizens," concludes Maksym Golovko.
"It is not necessary for everyone to develop their own local rules. Unified standards will be suitable for most villages and towns, as it will be easier to implement and maintain them." — Maksym Golovko
According to the architect, in large cities there are many more users, interests and conflicts, therefore there are more complex challenges that need to be solved. For example, a navigation system that will be equally convenient for both historic centers and modernist neighborhoods, or rules for placing advertisements and signs that will take into account the peculiarities of various local architecture that appeared over several centuries. This applies, in particular, to the rules for the location of street furniture, which would be suitable for both wide highways and small alleys.
Bo01 is one of the new residential areas in the Swedish town of Malmö
"Big cities compete for citizens not only within the borders of the country, but also on a global scale. Therefore, they invest resources in creating and implementing policies that develop their image and brand to clearly communicate the values they offer to their residents. For example, the visual public transport system of Berlin, which creates the image of a youthful and friendly system open to all. Or the building and landscaping rules of the Bo01 district in Malmö, which is positioned as an example of a sustainable modern city," shares Maksym Golovko's opinion.
What are we left with and what's next?
An individual image and memorable urban aesthetics are not the last of the reasons why people choose this or that place to live. Today, Ukraine has to compete for people with hundreds of cities in Europe and the world — with their orderly lifestyle, comfort, well-kept streets, remarkable historical and modern architecture. The development of Ukrainian cities without the use of design codes will mean that the habits of the past, inertia and corruption defeat progress, and the levels of comfort and safety of life in the near and far future, both for individual residents and for communities and for the cities themselves in general, may deteriorate.
The outflow of qualified personnel to more attractive cities (or countries) will have direct negative consequences for the economy, social and cultural sphere of settlements, and will inhibit their development. Growing discomfort and dissatisfaction with the authorities and the city management system, which are unable to effectively solve issues and create favorable conditions, can provoke an aggravation of conflicts between local communities and power structures.
Cities capable of providing a high standard of living will become magnets that will attract progressive and conscious segments of the population. In modern conditions, when people are mobile and the practice of remote work is popular, dysfunctional cities will not be able to compete for residents with those locations that have chosen change and development.
So, perhaps the time has come to finally focus on setting up effective systems for the development of Ukrainian cities and villages, as required by the time and the needs of the people? Relying on such, at first glance, uncomplicated, but aesthetically and functionally revolutionary arsenal, as the urban design code.
