Driving Urban Innovation with Ukraine’s Urban Planning Cadastre
In a landmark move for urban planning in November 2024, the Government of Ukraine unveiled a unified electronic state-level Urban Planning Cadastre (UPC). This innovative system aims to streamline spatial planning and construction processes, fostering transparency and efficiency through digitized data and processes at all levels—state, regional, and local.
To bring this initiative to life, a practical seminar titled "Using State-Level Urban Planning Cadastre Tools in the Planning and Development of Urban Planning Documentation" was held on January 10-11, 2025. The event, hosted in Kyiv, was jointly organized by the Ministry for Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), with support from the Madrid City Council under the UN4UkrainianCities Project.
The seminar gathered an audience of notable stakeholders, including heads of urban planning and architecture departments from 23 regional military administrations, Ministry experts, and representatives of international technical assistance projects. These participants engaged in a shared mission: to leverage the UPC to shape transparent, modern urban planning processes across Ukraine.
In her opening remarks, Deputy Minister Nataliya Kozlovska highlighted the seminar's significance:
“ Up-to-date urban planning documentation is a key prerequisite for a comprehensive approach to reconstruction. The introduction of comprehensive spatial development plans for communities is essential. To ensure transparency, urban planning documentation must be developed digitally and uploaded to the unified Urban Planning Cadastre at the national level.”
Strategic Focus Areas and Key Challenges
The seminar featured four strategic sessions covering essential themes:
Local-level urban planning documentation.
Regional-level urban planning documentation.
National implementation of the UPC.
Practical cases in reconstruction-focused urban planning.
Participants raised critical challenges, such as a shortage of qualified urban planning staff across regions, districts, and communities, compounded by limited resources for developing planning documentation. Under martial law, restrictions on using aircraft and drones for cartographic updates have further complicated efforts.
Moreover, the importance of revising and updating regional planning documentation was underscored to align local community planning with state and regional interests. Participants highlighted the pressing need for improved coordination among stakeholders, including neighboring communities, regions, ministries, and funding entities.
Revitalizing Ukraine’s Urban Spaces
The seminar also tackled the transformation of degraded territories, focusing on regions affected by ongoing conflict and neglected post-industrial areas. Discussions emphasized the need to restore these spaces, integrating modern urban planning practices to create compact, sustainable, and vibrant cities.
Setting the Stage for Progress
By spotlighting these pressing issues, the Kyiv seminar not only advanced discussions around Ukraine’s UPC initiative but also laid a foundation for actionable solutions. As Ukraine continues its journey toward urban regeneration, this collaborative effort represents a vital step in building resilient, transparent, and forward-looking urban communities.