25 January 2023
UNECE is mobilising international architects to help the city of Mykolaiv, Ukraine’s ninth largest city, to develop a forward-looking, people-centred master plan for its reconstruction.
Since July 2022, UNECE has engaged One Works, an international design company in Milano, Italy, to provide expertise in the development of the Mykolaiv city reconstruction master plan. One Works has cooperated with the city government of Mykolaiv, Ukrainian architects and other experts in these activities, which has led to the establishment of the UN4Mykolaiv Task Force. One Works provides its services on a pro-bono basis.
At the end of December 2022, representatives of the city government of Mykolaiv and the team of One Works met in Milano at the One Works headquarters, where they signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the development of the master plan, sealing their commitment for the future cooperation.
Vitaly Lukov, Deputy Mayor of Mykolaiv, said: “By actively involving our citizens in this work that projects us into a post-war future we are giving a perspective, we are giving hope. The priority is to end the war. Looking ahead will make us ready and quick for reconstruction.”
Giulio De Carli, Founder and Managing Partner of One Works highlighted: “For One Works, the involvement by UNECE and alongside Lord Norman Foster in the UN4Kharkiv project represents an honour and a great responsibility. We have been discussing with Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych, and Deputy Mayor Vitaly Lukov, the first steps to be taken to respond to the most urgent short-term needs and support reconstruction efforts with a long-term vision, towards a better tomorrow, imagining a green and inclusive city that responds to the most urgent post-conflict needs, whilst encouraging a positive development perspective. A city that through innovation, sustainability, and new forms of participation, has solid foundations to face the challenges of the future”.
Paola Deda, Director of the Forests, Land and Housing Division at UNECE, added: “In this important initiative, UNECE plays the role of matchmaking by bringing together the best professionals in the world of architecture, planning and engineering and Ukrainian cities. Today with the Norman Foster Foundation and One Works, we are validating a model respectively on Kharkiv and Mykolaiv. A model that we hope many other important studios in the world will want to marry soon to ‘adopt’ other important cities that need to be able to look ahead with hope”.
Information on the UN4Kharkiv project is available at https://unece.org/housing/un4kharkiv-rehabilitation
Information on the UN4Mykolaiv project is available at https://unece.org/housing/un4kharkiv-mykolaiv
More information on the Memorandum signing ceremony is available here.