The main goal of the event was to build and structure the partnership between Ukraine and Germany in matters of post-war reconstruction and further development of Ukrainian cities. The program of the preparatory conference included a demonstration of specific projects, various programs and approaches presented by architects and developers. At the same time, space was provided for a broad discussion, which was attended by specialized experts, representatives of municipalities, national authorities, and the public sector. Such an extensive and diverse list of speakers became the basis for a multi-level and complex exchange of experiences, against the background of which further actions can be outlined with greater specificity.
The main goal of the event "Transformative reconstruction of cities in Ukraine" is to build and structure the partnership between Ukraine and Germany in matters of post-war reconstruction of Ukrainian cities
Germany's expertise in the development and transformation of urban spaces is widely appreciated in Europe and the G7 community and has a long history
In particular, the experience of the post-war reconstruction and reintegration of German cities after the fall of the Berlin Wall, which is relevant for Ukraine, plays not the least role. That is why this event, as a starting point for the future partnership, is of special importance for Ukraine.
Subject cooperation with German experts and partners can provide an important impetus both in the issues of recovery itself, and against the background of the process of rapprochement of Ukraine with the EU, which is currently underway. The high-quality and effective development of urban spaces and individual districts, which Ukrainian cities currently need, is possible only in the presence of a powerful municipal base, reinforced at the regional and national levels. topics of the big June conference.
The first day of the conference "Transformative reconstruction of cities in Ukraine"
The first day of the conference "Transformative reconstruction of cities in Ukraine"
The first day of the conference "Transformative reconstruction of cities in Ukraine"
The first day of the conference "Transformative reconstruction of cities in Ukraine"
The first day of the conference "Transformative reconstruction of cities in Ukraine"
On March 6, on the first day of the program, the event "Transformative Reconstruction of Cities in Ukraine" began with opening speeches by Elizabeth Kaiser, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Development of Germany, and Oleksandra Azarkhina, Deputy Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine.
In the photo, on the left is Oleksandra Azarkhina, Deputy Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine, on the right is Elizabeth Kaiser, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Development of Germany
"The restoration of Ukraine is not only a story about the reconstruction of infrastructure and damaged buildings. For us, this is a chance to rethink urban spaces and transform their image in the eyes of society," Oleksandra Azarkhina
As Elizabeth Kaiser pointed out, the fact that the first speakers of the conference are representatives of the authorities of the partner countries, in itself emphasizes the scale and urgency of the event dedicated to the restoration of Ukraine and Ukrainian cities.
Elizabeth Kaiser
"The restoration of Ukraine is not only a story about the reconstruction of infrastructure and damaged buildings. For us, this is a chance to rethink urban spaces and transform their image in the eyes of society. The processes we are currently discussing are ultimately designed to revive not only physical buildings — they are also our tool for the rehabilitation of society after the war," Oleksandra Azarkhina said in her speech.
Oleksandr Azarkhin
Later, the discussion "Planning and construction to ensure sustainability" took place, in which the speakers were Ukrainian architect Oleg Drozdov, founder of the Kharkiv School of Architecture and Ro3kvit urban coalition, Professor Philip Moiser - German architect, journalist and author of DOM Publishers, as well as Hubert Trummer - Polish architect and teacher, member of the "New European Bauhaus" community. Paula Deda, Director of the Department for Forests, Land and Housing of the UN Economic Commission for Europe, gave her comments to the discussion.
The panel discussion "Planning and construction for sustainability" took place on the first day of the conference "Transformative reconstruction of cities in Ukraine"
Oleg Drozdov, the founder of the Kharkiv School of Architecture and the urban coalition Ro3kvit, was one of the speakers of the panel discussion "Planning and construction for sustainability" on the first day of the conference
Paula Deda, Director of the Forests, Lands and Housing Division of the UN Economic Commission for Europe, commented on the panel discussion "Planning and Building for Sustainability"
The second day of the conference was opened by the speeches of Klara Geiwitz, Minister of Housing, Urban Development and Construction of Germany, and Oleksandr Kubrakov, Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine.
"Ukraine will need not only restoration, but also a kind of reboot, transformation in many issues," Oleksandr Kubrakov
"We are with you now and will not stop helping during the recovery. It will be long and will require a lot of effort. Today we are sending a signal to Ukraine: do not lose courage, do not lose strength, we support you with all our efforts," Klara Gaivitz addressed Ukrainians with these words during her speech.
The second day of the conference was opened by the speech of Klara Heiwitz, Minister of Housing, Urban Development and Construction of Germany
The second day of the conference was opened by the speech of Klara Heiwitz, Minister of Housing, Urban Development and Construction of Germany
Oleksandr Kubrakov joined the conference via video link and added that Ukraine will need not only restoration, but also a kind of reboot, transformation in many issues.
"According to the assessment of the World Bank, carried out in cooperation with the government of Ukraine, the European Commission and the UN, Ukraine's direct losses reached about 152 billion dollars in the two years since the start of the full-scale war. As of now, the total cost of restoration works will amount to about 500 billion dollars, Oleksandr said. — Many Ukrainian settlements will have to be rebuilt. At the same time, the key issue in ensuring the recovery and further sustainable development of the regions and communities of Ukraine is the introduction of a transparent, accountable and inclusive approach."
Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov joined the conference via video link
Also, according to Oleksandr Kubrakov, for Ukraine, the upcoming Ukraine Recovery 2024 conference and the March preparatory event "Transformative reconstruction of cities in Ukraine" are, in particular, an opportunity to take into account the best practices of Germany and Poland during their European integration process in the 1990s and 2000s. x years, respectively.
Oleksandr Kubrakov noted in his speech that Ukraine will need not only recovery, but also a kind of reboot, transformation in many issues
Many more speakers joined the program of the second day of the conference: after Klara Geivitz and Oleksandr Kubrakov, Dr. Jogen Lang - Director General for Housing and Urban Renewal, representative of the Department for Urban Development of Germany - spoke. His speech was followed by a panel discussion "Governmental and Financial Architecture of Recovery and Transformation", which was attended by experts and municipal speakers from the Polish, German and Ukrainian governments, as well as a speaker from the European Commission.
Panel discussion "Government and financial architecture of recovery and transformation"
Subsequently, several parallel discussions took place on selected topics urgent for Ukraine: "How to plan recovery and transformation programs", "New models of housing construction for Ukraine" and "Sustainable and energy-efficient construction and reconstruction". Later, as a summary, the key theses for each of the topics were voiced.
Oleksandra Azarkhina's performance in the final part of the program. In the background you can see the stands representing theses of parallel discussions on the second day of the conference
Group of Ukrainian participants of the conference "Transformative reconstruction of cities in Ukraine"
"Opening opportunities, creating momentum: transformational reconstruction of cities in Ukraine" is just a kind of announcement for the large conference Ukraine Recovery 2024, which will take place in Berlin in three months
The purpose of the March event was mostly a preliminary outline of urgent issues, building effective and multi-level communication between representatives of the governments of the partner countries and specialized specialists who will be involved in the reconstruction projects of Ukraine. It is with such a structured and objective approach that the projects planned for presentation as part of the June program will be prepared. But what is important, it is on the basis of specific cases and proposals that further partnership of Ukraine, Germany and Poland is planned for the purpose of restoration and transformation of Ukrainian cities.
