Italian Designers and British Architects Will Team Up To Rebuild Mykolaiv and Kharkiv

The war in Ukraine has led to the destruction of entire urban areas in the country. As soon as the invaders are pushed out, these cities will need all the help they can get.

The port city of Mykolaiv on the estuary of the Bug River is a strategic city. The important industrial and commercial center connected to the Black Sea has been battered since the beginning of the conflict. The destruction caused by Russian bombardments will require enormous efforts by the Ukrainian government for an extensive plan to rebuild the city.

Italian architecture and engineering firm One Works is planning the reconstruction of the city of Mykolaiv in Ukraine. One Works is a partner of the Center of Excellence on Sustainable Finance for Infrastructures and Smart Cities (ExSUF), created by UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and Carlo Cattaneo International University (LIUC).

On Dec. 16, 2022, a memorandum of understanding was signed in Milan by the Deputy Mayor of Mykolaiv Vitaly Lukov and One Works. “The priority is to end the war and, looking ahead, will make us ready and fast for reconstruction,” Lukov said.

One Works took on the drafting – pro bono – of the new urban master plan to develop the first phase of Mykolaiv’s reconstruction on five thematic macro-areas: transport and connection infrastructures, a green and water system, social housing, and industrial development. LIUC will participate in the project, providing database and assessment of the economic impact.

“During the recurring online meetings with the Mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Sienkevych and with the Deputy Mayor Vitaly Lukov, we were able to discuss the first steps to be taken to respond to the most urgent needs and support reconstruction efforts toward a better tomorrow,” Giulio De Carli, founder and managing partner of One Works, explained.

In April 2022, despite the uncertainty of the conflict, the Ukrainian Ministry of Communities and Territories Development drew up a draft of recommendations aimed at guiding the plans for the reconstruction of cities and infrastructure affected by the conflict.

The Ukrainian government has thus requested the support of the UNECE for the development of its recommendations. In response, the UNECE initiated the #UN4 project and established a task force composed of more than 16 UN agencies, working in a coordinated manner to support Ukraine’s efforts to develop innovative approaches to rebuild cities destroyed or damaged by the conflict.

The task force includes a host of representatives from various UN agencies, including the UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine, UNOPS, UNDP Ukraine, UNEP, UNDRR, WHO, IOM, OCHA, OHCHR, UN-Habitat and UNICEF Ukraine. In order to involve specific and professional skills of the highest level, the UNECE found the proactive support of the world-renowned architect Norman Foster, who, through the Norman Foster Foundation and the UNECE Center of Excellence, was the first to launch a study for the definition of a master plan, focusing on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv (#UN4KHARKIV).

In the wake of this first experience, the UNECE increased the breadth of the #UN4 project. The UN agency acted as a matchmaker, promoting the meeting between the municipality of Mykolaiv and One Works for the definition of the master plan for the reconstruction and urban regeneration of the second Ukrainian city to enter this project.