Open Call: UREHERIT Urban Hack in Kalush for participants and team leads

In May, we will hold an urban hack to work on a shared vision of development and recommendations for action for Kalush. It will cover three levels: the site of the former kindergarten (1.3 hectares), the surrounding area, and the general housing situation in the town. The kindergarten building will be converted into housing for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
We invite architects, urbanists, urban activists, visual artists, local residents, architecture students, and anyone interested in contributing to the restoration of the urban environment and the preservation of cultural heritage in Ukraine.
The application for participation in the Urban Hack must be submitted by 5 April 2025 at 23:59 Ukrainian time.
To register, please follow this link: https://www.urbanhack.eu/
The Urban Hack's dynamic format allows to quickly create visionary illustrations and model development scenarios for an area. The final result can be in different formats - sketches and graphic material in presentation form, terms of reference for an architectural or urban planning competition, a video for YouTube or a series of radio programmes. At the same time, a visualisation for Kalush and recommendations for action will be a mandatory part of the final result.
The Urban Hack is organized by the Estonian Association of Architects, the NGO Ro3kvit Urban Coalition for Ukraine, in cooperation with the Shared City Foundation, CO-HATY, and the City of Kalush. This Urban Hack is part of a series of four Urban Hacks in Ukraine, implemented within the framework of the European cultural project UREHERIT, funded by the European Union, with additional support from ESTDEV - Estonian Centre for International Development, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Estonia, and the Swedish Institute.

Who are we looking for?

Are you an architect, urbanist, urban activist, visual artist, Kalush local, IDPs living in Kalush architecture student or just interested in inclusive methods for urban planning? Then we are looking for you!

This call is open for potential participants as well as team leaders. In total there will be 5 teams with about 6-8 participants each. In addition, for every team, we are looking for someone with visualization skills that can do magic with pen and paper, computer renderings or even digital collage.

Participation in the Urban Hack is voluntary and participants’ possible expenses are not reimbursed, but there are options to find funding for participating. Please note that in the application form!

All participants will get 3 days full of great discussions, new professional contacts, addition to their personal portfolio and a say in the future of the city and its neighborhoods.

Urban Hack Site - former kindergarten In Kalush

The former kindergarten was constructed in 1966 as part of a microdistrict during the Soviet era. This microdistrict is a section of the larger urban entity, New Kalush. While the rest of New Kalush underwent minor spatial expansions after the Soviet era, this microdistrict has remained the same. Its original urban composition is still preserved to this day.
Soviet spatial planning, which guided New Kalush territorial development, incorporated a large amount of open space. The site, located in the very center of the neighborhood, also features a sizable green area. This allows for the potential densification of space and an increase in the floor area ratio (FAR) if necessary, while still adhering to urban planning constraints. It also provides a quiet space away from the road, surrounded by a large green zone, connected to housing.
The Kalush Urban Hack will focus on three different scales, the former kindergarten building and its grounds (1.3 ha), the surrounding neighborhood, as well as the general housing situation in Kalush. Her Urban Hack focuses on mapping the challenges related to resilient groups, especially IDP-s and women, and proposing spacial solutions to these challenges.

Partners 

Estonian Association of Architects
The Estonian Association of Architects (EAA) is a professional organization committed to uniting Estonian architects to promote the country’s architectural culture and built environment. As part of its mission, the EAA is organizing Urban Hack’s in Ukraine to facilitate discussions on participatory planning, sustainable city development and contemporary architecture and furthermore help Ukraine find it’s way in rebuilding. Through these initiatives, the association seeks to share expertise, foster collaboration, and contribute to the rebuilding of quality urban spaces.

Ro3kvit - Urban Coalition for Ukraine
Ro3kvit - Urban Coalition for Ukraine - is a coalition of over 100 professionals from Ukraine and beyond who unite to create knowledge and methodologies for rebuilding Ukraine’s urban and rural areas and infrastructure. Through design and research, we address urgent needs and connect them to future strategies.

Shared City Foundation
Shared City is an independent and non-profit foundation that builds long-term capacity for inclusive urban development at all levels by providing practical tools and creating platforms for collaboration and knowledge exchange. In line with global frameworks, the foundation works to strengthen the position, conditions and participation of underrepresented groups in urban development all over the world. Our projects focus on proximity and participatory practices for intersectional urban development - creating inclusive and resilient cities.


CO-HATY
CO-HATY is a project that emerged in response to Ukraine’s housing crisis that has been severely worsened by the full-scale war. The scarcity of housing opportunities became an urgent challenge, making CO-HATY team think: how could architects help? “Haty” in Ukrainian means “houses” and “COHATY” means “to love”.

CO-HATY focuses on developing existing collective housing systems based on the principles of sustainability, accessibility, and transparency. In addition to renovating emergency shelters, the team working with partners to develop a model for affordable long-term rental housing. This system will help restore the livelihoods of those affected by Russian armed aggression and assist in their integration into the communities they have relocated to.