On May 27, Lutsk hosted a workshop and research exhibition with the participation of local residents and architects from Ukraine, the Netherlands, and Italy. The event is part of the Urban Vision Lutsk project by the "Algorithm of Actions" NGO.
The goal of the organizers is to start a dialogue between citizens, architects, designers, government, and business and build a community of like-minded people who will jointly influence the development of Lutsk and its future. Also, the goal is to develop a master plan for the city based on the ideas proposed by the citizens and experts.
At the beginning of the event, the founders of the "Algorithm of Actions" NGO, which implements the Urban Vision Lutsk project, addressed the participants.
The war has become a catalyst for our project because it is the reason why we cannot postpone our plans for the distant future. Today, we managed to gather caring people who are interested in helping to make Lutsk better. I am pleased that there are urbanists, architects, and designers among us. We need to not waste time, but to do new things and learn,"
Everything has changed during the war: many people are migrating, leaving, and being forced to change their place of residence. Cities that lose their residents become poorer and risk dying. Lutsk needs to be competitive and compete with Lviv and Kyiv. We strive to develop the city with the help of the right events, development, and make Lutsk a comfortable, safe, and decent city for its residents,"
Then, the team of the Urban Reform office presented a comprehensive study of Lutsk in the format of an exhibition. It encourages residents to take a fresh look at what makes up Lutsk today: the city's history, its role in the country, architecture and urban planning, nature, culture, and people. You can see the exhibition during the week at 26 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho St. (the square near the Diia.Business center in Lutsk).
The exhibition collects the opinions of citizens and urban analytics on why Lutsk is exactly like we see it today. This data is an important component that we will rely on in developing the city's master plan,"
The exhibition presentation was followed by a workshop with the residents of Lutsk. The participants were divided into three groups: Mobility, Culture, and Public Spaces.
The first group explored movement in the city: mobility, transport and pedestrian networks.
The second group worked on the city's culture and its development, as well as improving the tourist potential of Lutsk
The third group shared ideas for creating new parks, squares, and other spaces where citizens can communicate and relax comfortably.
The workshop was moderated by a team of architects and urbanists from the Urban Reform Office with the participation of Dutch architect Patrick Meers and Italian architect Francesco Frezza.
I came to Ukraine and saw the consequences of the war. But it's good that the people of Lutsk have so much energy and can invest in the further development of the city. It is important that not only experts, but also residents of the city who are interested in its development are present at the workshop. It is very impressive that people here do not start building right away, but take time to research: they read, think, discuss, and plan this process",
I visited Lutsk thanks to an invitation at the beginning of the war. The government is engaged in political aid. How can architects help? We decided to take part in the development of a study of Lutsk with its residents. We want to share our experience, vision, and develop projects. We see Russia's aggression as a war between the old and the new, between outdated views and proactive young people who want to adopt the experience of Europe. To go global, you need to start small. Lutsk is a great place to start because there are already many opportunities here,"
On May 28, foreign architects held a professional workshop for local architects and shared their project experience.
The "Algorithm of Actions" NGO thanks the citizens of Lutsk for participating in the survey about Lutsk. It will become an important component of the city's research and will help in the development of the master plan, along with the ideas and materials that the team developed with residents at the workshops.
The Urban Vision Lutsk project initiator is the "Algorithm of Actions" NGO in partnership with the NGO Misto. reboot and the Urban Reform Office.
