The rapidly changing economic and social situation in the last decade is aggravating the issues of territorial branding. In the global competition between cities, the development of comfortable infrastructure and the speed of implementing structural changes often become one of the most important competitive advantages.
This situation demands new approaches to territorial management and marketing. Regional and state planning systems require revision, and Ukraine is also part of this process. In this article, we will look at how urbanist development in Ukraine is going on and how Ukrainian organizations are contributing to it, with the example of urbanist development in Lutsk by an Algorytm NGO.
Obstacles and Prospects of Urbanist Development in Ukraine
Urbanism is a field of knowledge that studies cities as complex, multidimensional objects. It is the science of cities, the relationship between the economy, demography, social composition of the population, and built-up spaces.
The relevance of this science is beyond doubt. In many countries, the share of city dwellers is over 70%, while in some developed nations this number has already reached 90%. Today, there are almost 400 cities with a population of more than 1 million: Shanghai has 24 million inhabitants; Cairo has almost 10 million; and New York is quickly approaching its first 10-million mark.
In modern Ukraine, the society is also heavily urbanized. 70% of Ukrainians live in cities, and the remaining 30% are urban-oriented in one way or another, like villagers creating products or services to sell to city dwellers.
The influence of urbanism in Ukraine can be felt at any level of societal structures, especially considering that the country’s current urban system has a lot of room for improvement. For example, there are large cities where the population was artificially increased during the industrialization period. City planners of that era never had the concept of an urban community in mind while designing those, instead creating urban areas to maintain local enterprises. In addition, people do not always realize that the appearance of a city and decisions concerning its development depend not just on the local authorities but also on the area’s inhabitants.
In order to communicate the importance of understanding urban processes to the public, it is necessary to move away from the perception of urbanism as installation of benches, bicycle lanes, and signboards. Instead, the concept of public involvement should become central in urbanism development in Ukraine. Even at the initial stages of work with urban space, studies, surveys, and interviews should be conducted to determine the needs of citizens.
Key Insights to Urbanist Development in Ukraine
The influence of urban planning on the city is hard to overestimate. Successfully applying urbanism principles in practice requires a good strategy, especially when implementing a complex project or changing what is already in place. You must clearly understand what needs to be done and have a vision of the results.
Each city, district, or settlement should ideally have a vision of its future, draw up plans to achieve it, and define clear intermediate and long-term goals. If such a strategy is created by all stakeholders interested in the city's development (residents, authorities, entrepreneurs), it can become a roadmap for the city in both the present and the future.
To apply the principles of urbanism, you need several quantitative and qualitative tools:
- Urban planning and design tools. This category includes specialized digital instruments that allow planners to cohesively analyze and manage city’s districts, ensuring sustainable and functional urban development.
- Transportation analysis tools. With this software type, you can analyze traffic and devise better ways to get around the city.
- Architecture and building design tools. This includes software that allows architects to design energy-efficient and carbon-neutral buildings.
- Population analysis tools. These tools enable urbanists to study demographics and anticipate population needs.
- Technical data analysis tools. Emerging technologies like AI and Big Data can be used to analyze huge amounts of information quickly and draw conclusions about the current state of a city as well as its prospects.
Numerous successful cities worldwide prove that the correct application of these tools leads to social and economic innovation. In particular, proper realization of principles of urbanism can:
- improve the quality of life;
- make economic and social benefits more accessible;
- promote the development of local communities;
- improve transportation accessibility and reduce traffic jams;
- create environments that support self-development;
- make life easier for people with limited mobility;
- make the city more pleasant to live in;
- integrate businesses into local communities, giving them a marketing advantage;
- create a productive business environment by providing increased tax revenues;
- foster a stable political and economic climate.
A good example of efforts that such development requires is the urban research project by the Algorytm NGO. It is a comprehensive study of the needs of Lutsk aimed at reimagining the city center. In the course of the study, the Algorytm NGO team surveyed city residents about the prospects of urbanism development in Lutsk and is preparing an updated Master Plan based on the data obtained. The Urban Vision Lutsk project study is available in public domain, and you can read it to better understand the processes of urban development in Lutsk.
Conclusion
As you can see, urban development in Ukraine is quite a promising direction that can significantly improve the quality of life in the country. The influence of urbanism in Lutsk is a great example of it.
A city and life in it is like a project with many components. Before implementing or changing an existing project, you need to have a vision of what exactly you want to get in the final version. Modern urbanism allows you to realize such projects and achieve sustainable development. The influence of urban planning on the city of Lutsk has already yielded positive results like the Algorytm NGO projects. Our team has successfully implemented projects that can in time turn Lutsk into a great center of creative industries in the region and, hopefully, the world.