This story begins in April last year at the UNECE Forum of Mayors in Geneva
February 3 Press Conference, Kharkiv City Administration: (pictured from left: Maxim Rozenfield, Mayor Ihor Terekhov, Olga Demianenko)
““This story begins at the United Nations. There I met Igor Terekhov.””
Following the discussions at the Forum, Igor Terekhov invited Norman Foster to support the reconstruction of Kharkiv and assist in updating the Master Plan of the city.
UN4Kharkiv Task Force
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has established the UN4Kharkiv Task Force to coordinate the activities of international and Ukrainian architects, representatives of international organizations, engineers and other experts involved in the reconstruction of Kharkiv.
Local destruction
As of February 2023, approximately a quarter of the entire housing stock has been destroyed in the city. Many administrative buildings have also been destroyed. After the war, Kharkiv will have to build not only housing for those left homeless, but also hospitals, schools and kindergartens.
UN4Kharkiv Masterplan
It is assumed that a large-scale reconstruction will turn Kharkiv into a center of innovation, technology and urbanism. The Master Plan is currently being developed by the Norman Foster Foundation, ARUP Berlin and international experts on a pro bono basis, in close cooperation and with the full participation of local experts and Kharkiv residents.
Particular attention, as Norman Foster emphasized during the press conference, will be given to the modernization of the city's transport infrastructure. In addition, high-tech industrial parks will be created in Kharkiv to help restart the economy after the war.