A message from URBACT in support of Ukraine’s cities and their residents

Back in December 2016, I was invited to Kiev by the German Government to introduce the first conference of Ukrainian cities about sustainable urban development. This event was sponsored by the German ministry responsible for urban matters. Hundreds of participants were gathered from cities all over Ukraine, including those near the conflict areas in Donbas.

Not only the municipalities, but also members of civil society, were present at this occasion. More particularly, citizens had the chance to showcase very concrete examples of their own experience using a participative approach. For those not familiar to URBACT, this is a core value shared by the programme. Including and involving different people in the decision-making process, hearing their voices, and getting everyone around the table, should be the starting point for any integrated urban initiative.

I was personally very pleased to share with the participants that the Ukrainian city of Lviv had been working with URBACT at the time. Thanks to the joint financial efforts of the French and Polish Member States, in cooperation with the Ukrainian Embassy in the Polish capital Warsaw, Lviv joined the URBACT network BoostInno as an observer city. This network of ten EU cities, led by Gdańsk (Poland), aimed at proving that social innovation is not just a trend, but a fundamental change in governance and urban management.

Back then, I really had the feeling that the day Ukrainian cities become a part of our Europe they would have a lot to offer in terms of territorial cooperation, notably joining future URBACT calls and projects. Today, a few hours after Ukraine is confirmed to face an aggression, which puts all the country and its development at risk, I express in the name of the URBACT Joint Secretariat my solidarity with its cities and their inhabitants. More than ever, I wish for cooperation with them and Europe.

Cover photo of Kiev city centre by Ivan Zakharenko on Unsplash