Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting extensive destruction of the country calls for a broad international effort to rebuild the Ukrainian society.
Together with colleagues from the Ukrainian Architects’ Association, the Association of Architects in Denmark has started a project for “Democratic Reconstruction of Ukraine”. The purpose of the project is partly to learn more about legislation and practice around urban development in Ukraine and partly to have Danish knowledge “translated” to Ukrainian conditions. Through such collaboration, models for a more locally based reconstruction with a focus on local citizens involvement can be identified.
Initially, there is a need for efforts to rebuild destroyed infrastructure in the form of repairing utilities for water, energy, heat, electricity etc. But how should the reconstruction of cities and buildings take place and what does it mean to “rebuild”? How can the reconstruction ensure that the Ukrainians are involved and have a democratic influence on the design of a rebuilt Ukraine. How do we ensure that the mistakes of the past in establishing large new urban structures are not repeated?
A serious challenge for reconstruction is the enormous speed and scale at which refurbishment and construction must take place. There is a risk that the needs of local people and nature will be overlooked. Also, how can we ensure that reconstruction takes place in a sustainable way with a focus on CO2 reduction, increasing biodiversity, respect for local culture and architecture etc.
In this session, we will discuss the above questions, we will explore the methods that can be used for reconstruction and which pitfalls to avoid.
