Three communities will receive support under the "Communities at the Heart of Urban Changes" project!

The support provided by the "Communities at the Heart of Urban Changes" project is a crucial step toward creating conditions for, empowering citizens, and enhancing the quality of life.After a thorough review of the submitted applications, three communities will receive assistance to implement their initiatives:● Lukashivka Community● Chernivtsi Community● Pidhaitsi Village territorial community

Lukashivka Community: Hurt - activating the rural population through multifunctional spaces

In the village of Lukashivka, home to approximately 350 residents, there is no community center—a common issue in many Ukrainian villages. The community’s project envisions transforming a non-operational school into a multifunctional space that will serve as the hub of local life.
Key aspects of the project:
● The school space will be repurposed to include a medical post, post office, administrative services, as well as cultural and educational segments.● Through interviews, surveys, and workshops, the real needs of residents will be identified, allowing for the development of a project that reflects the community’s perspective.● Informal meetings among residents will help build trust, eventually evolving into events where specific actions for revitalizing the space are discussed.

Chernivtsi Community: Spaces for growth

The "Growth Spaces" project for the Chernivtsi Community is aimed at transforming existing communal areas into permanent hubs that will serve as platforms for integrating internally displaced persons (IDPs) with local residents.
Key aspects of the project:
● The reorganization of spaces involves repurposing current halls—primarily used for evening meetings—into functional hubs for the daily activities of IDPs, thereby creating new opportunities for integration and interaction.● By actively engaging local residents and IDPs, the project will help foster an environment where experience sharing and mutual support strengthen the community.● Leveraging the successful experiences of both local and international partners will enable the establishment of stable operations for these communal spaces and ensure their long-term viability.

Pidhaitsi Village territorial community: Ecopark in the Konopelka River Valley

The project in the Pidhaitsi community focuses on developing the Konopelka River valley while preserving and restoring degraded wetland areas, which are part of highly valuable nature conservation territories.
Key objectives of the project:
● Creating an eco-park—a new space that will integrate nature conservation, educational, rehabilitation, and recreational functions to ensure the multifunctional use of the territory.● Enhancing the participatory approach. The Youth Council and other community representatives have already taken part in the initial participatory event, ensuring that residents’ perspectives are incorporated into the development of the functional plan.● Reconciling the needs of local residents (for instance, establishing an additional swimming beach) with the preservation of the unique ecosystem to prevent negative impacts from over-visitation.● The project is implemented in collaboration with Dutch partners INBO, STIPO, and Play the City, and is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.