Video lectures
A starting point for understanding recovery, in the form of short lectures from Ukrainian and international experts.
This is an easy way to dive into key concepts and learn about approaches to spatial planning, architecture, community engagement, safety, and resilience. The lectures can be watched at your own pace, individually or as part of a full learning journey.
Suitable for both beginners and those seeking a fresh perspective on familiar topics.
The videos are dubbed in Ukrainian and have English subtitles.
Integrated Planning — The Key to Recovery
About the video: This video explains why integrated planning is a vital necessity for post-war Ukraine. You will find out how to combine transportation, housing, economy, nature, and security into a single urban system, even with limited resources.
The large-scale destruction in Ukraine has presented cities with unprecedented challenges. Recovery must go beyond mere reconstruction - it requires integrated urban planning that combines physical, social, economic and environmental factors.
In the video, architect and urbanist Fulco Treffers emphasizes that urban planning must simultaneously address issues of mobility, housing, security, and economic opportunities while responding to contemporary challenges such as war and climate change. The examples of the Kyiv region and the vision of Mariupol's recovery demonstrate how a strategic approach can balance heritage preservation, development, and sustainability.
Oleg Drozdov draws attention to the need to coordinate planning at different levels, from regional strategies to local decisions. He places a special emphasis on the problem of outdated Soviet mass housing, which requires deep renovation to meet modern energy efficiency and safety standards.
Both experts emphasize that Ukraine's successful recovery requires flexible legislation, public engagement, and international cooperation.Speakers: Fulco Treffers and Oleg Drozdov
Fulco Treffers (NL, UA) – is a Dutch architect, urbanist and researcher specializing in sustainable regeneration, integrated planning and community engagement. He is a co-founder and director of Ro3kvit: Urban Coalition for Ukraine. He is actively working in Ukraine to develop approaches to the comprehensive recovery of cities and communities.
Oleg Drozdov (UA) – is an architect, co-founder of drozdov&partners and Kharkiv School of Architecture. He is known for his projects that combine modern architecture with a deep contextual analysis of space. He actively works on the development of architectural education in Ukraine and promotes integrated approaches to planning and urban renewal in the postwar period.Recommendations for deepening the topic
The recovery of cities and communities requires a holistic vision, taking into account spatial, social, economic, and environmental interconnections. We offer a selection of resources that will help you better understand the integrated approach and find your place in these processes:
● Urban Recovery Framework від UN-Habitat — is a practical guide that offers a structured approach to integrated urban and community recovery. It shows how to integrate housing, economy, environment and security into a coherent system and will be a reference for those working at the strategic level. Learn more
● Key European frameworks for integrated planning — are strategic documents that shape a modern vision of cities as holistic, sustainable, and equitable spaces. They set guidelines for the integrated reconstruction of Ukrainian communities in the process of European integration. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the following: New Leipzig Charter, NEB Compass, Urban Agenda for the EU
● Cities after the war: international experience of post-war reconstruction — is a resource with examples of urban reconstruction after destruction, analysis of successful solutions and mistakes that should be taken into account in Ukraine. City After War
● Spatial planning in Ukraine: Profile 2023. An up-to-date analysis of the state of spatial planning in Ukraine, which shows what exactly needs to be changed to create a comprehensive system of management of the development of territories. See the profile
● Open course “Introduction to the Capacity Building for Ukraine's Recovery Program” on the EU Academy platform. A free online course for those who want to develop professional skills in planning, project management, and community engagement in reconstruction. Start learning
Urbanism Under Fire: Planning That Saves Lives
About the video: The video explains how architecture can become a tool for survival. You will learn how to plan a safe environment in wartime: create shelters, emergency routes, decentralized infrastructure, and how to reduce risks through competent design. The example of Kryvyi Rih will be used to discuss specific solutions for resilient cities.
Due to the war, Ukrainian cities are facing unprecedented security and safety challenges. This video shows how urban planning can increase resilience by combining protection from accidental hazards and deliberate threats.
Key topics include:● Decentralization of critical infrastructure to ensure reliability during attacks.● Strengthening emergency response through evacuation corridors and public awareness.● Restoration of war-damaged buildings based on pilot projects in Kryvyi Rih as models for scalable restoration.Modernization of public shelters to increase their accessibility and functionality.● Countering disinformation to strengthen public trust and security.● The best international practices from Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Israel are adapted to the Ukrainian context. The video emphasizes community participation, urban planning strategies, and improved legislation to make cities more resilient.● It is not only about rebuilding, but also about protecting the future and ensuring that every citizen has access to a safe and secure urban environment.Speakers: Ruslan Antonenko, Philipp Meuser
Ruslan Antonenko (KZ, UA) – Professional with 8 years of experience, specializing in small and medium-sized residential construction, public and private interior design. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Since 2016, he has been developing sustainable housing in architecture in semi-harsh and harsh climates. After the full-scale invasion, Ruslan's main goal is to help rebuild and redevelop cities and villages in Ukraine.
Philipp Meuser (GER, NL) – Managing director of Meuser Architekten, head of DOM publishing house. Honorary Professor at the A.M. Beketov Institute of Kharkiv University, visiting professor at Brown University in Providence/Rhode Island. Specialization: typology of Soviet mass housing.Recommendations for deepening the topic
These resources cover community participation in shaping security, as well as environmental aspects of designing for war, which are critical areas for modern urban planning in Ukraine.
● Practical guide for facilitators of dialogues on community security
This manual is a methodological tool for architects, urbanists, and public sector workers working with security at the local level. It helps to engage residents in identifying threats, formulating solutions, and developing trust rather than designing from the top. It contains step-by-step dialogue scenarios, exercises, instructions for facilitators, and examples of risk mapping.
Why read it: To implement safety spatial solutions based on community participation, not just engineering assessments. Link to the document
● Guidelines on the Protection of the Natural Environment in Armed Conflict
The guidelines focus on the integration of environmental security principles during military operations. For urban planners, it is important as a basis for long-term design of infrastructure that does not harm the environment even in the context of armed conflict. Particular attention is paid to water, landscape, resources, and minimizing damage during recovery.
Why read it: To plan for recovery with environmental constraints and sustainability in mind. Read here
● Building Back Stronger: Urban Resilience Through Post-Conflict Reconstruction
An analytical article that shows how post-conflict reconstruction can and should be a tool for strengthening urban resilience. The authors examine the cases of Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, and Rwanda, demonstrating that the values embedded in the reconstruction phase determine the future of the city. Read online
Shared Recovery: How a Community Initiative Shapes Change
About the video: The war changed social ties, but recovery offers a chance to revive them through joint action. In the video, you will learn how Ukrainian communities are reviving the tradition of community service and common goods in a modern way, from repairing buildings to creating spaces for veterans. This is about a new social infrastructure based on trust, participation, and shared responsibility.
The war has devastated communities, forcing millions of people to flee their homes and jeopardizing familiar social ties. At the same time, the tradition of collective action known as “toloka” is being revived, forming the basis of initiatives that support community-led recovery. Projects such as CO-HATY offer housing solutions for displaced people, restoring public space through collaborative efforts. Meanwhile, the Veteran's Hut in Makariv creates special spaces for veterans, supporting social reintegration and psychological recovery.
Both initiatives embody a shared-use approach - where communities take responsibility for the spaces and resources they use. This is the basis for long-term resilience that goes beyond emergency assistance and creates stable, self-sufficient solutions.
The traditions of mutual assistance, trust and self-governance inherent in Ukrainian communities can become the basis for recovery.Speakers: Marjo van Schaik, Anastasiia Ponomaryova
Marjo van Schaik (NL) – Researcher of public space and socio-cultural values, cultural manager. Guest lecturer at the Kharkiv School of Architecture. Specialization: public buildings, culture, identity
Anastasiia Ponomaryova (UA) – Architect, researcher at ETHz. Co-founder of the Urban Curators NGO and the CO-HATY initiative. Anastasiia's academic education includes a scholarship at the Leventhal Center for Advanced Urban Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her current project focuses on comprehensive, sustainable, and rapid housing for internally displaced persons in Ukraine.Recommendations for deepening the topic
To gain a deeper understanding of the potential of community-based initiatives in recovery, we recommend that you read a selection of sources that combine practice, research, and methodological tools:
● "HOW CAN A COMMUNITY ADAPT TO WAR? A Self-Facilitation Guide" A practical guide for communities looking for ways to establish an internal dialog, understand their resources, and plan actions in response to the challenges of war. View the guide● “Reconstruction of Ukraine: Priorities, Risks, Inclusion” Qualitative research based on 32 in-depth interviews with civil society representatives. It highlights the vision of reconstruction, barriers to participation and the potential of local initiatives. Read more about the study● “Rebuilding” - podcast and video stories about people and spaces of change A series of conversations with practitioners who create a new infrastructure of participation - architects, facilitators, activists. How cities and communities are changing through joint efforts. Watch on YouTube● "Just Sustainability from the Heart of Communities. The Transformative Power of Socio-Cultural Centers" A European study on how socio-cultural centers influence the sustainability and cohesion of communities, including examples from Ukraine. Download the report● “Rethinking Citizenship Education” by Horizontal School A publication on how education contributes to a culture of participation, ownership and local leadership - the foundations for long-term recovery. View the publication● “Enabling Meaningful Public Participation in Spatial Planning Processes” A practical guide to organizing public participation in planning - relevant for communities that create a vision of spatial development in partnership with residents. View the methodology
The project is led by UN-Habitat and supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of the Federal Republic of Germany.