We announce an open call for hromadas within the project “Communities at the heart of urban changes”

We invite Ukrainian Hromadas and local changemakers who want to involve their citizens in urban planning and spatial development. Ro3kvit Urban coalition for Ukraine together with Dutch partners INBO, STIPO, and Play the City will collaborate closely with 3-4 Hromadas to realize ideas that truly matter to the people. Let’s create spaces that reflect the voices, dreams, and aspirations of the people who call them home. 

Context of the program

This initiative aims to achieve sustainable impact by involving citizens in urban planning, combining Dutch experience with participatory methods and Ukrainian local knowledge with working in difficult circumstances.
This initiative focuses on improving trust and collaboration between citizens and authorities by involving communities in urban planning. Using Dutch expertise and Ukrainian experience, we aim to develop practical solutions for building resilient and vibrant neighborhoods, even in difficult conditions. It bridges the gap between top-down policies and community-driven efforts, establishing mutual trust between citizens and authorities. This community-led change proves to be leading to stronger and more sustainable neighborhoods and even faster development. 

What we offer to participants

We will provide programme and organisational support in the participation processes for new or already existing projects within the realm of urban design, architecture, spatial planning, landscape, public space, and safety and security in the chosen Hromadas.
The programme support will include an exchange on developing participatory tools suitable for the proposed project and networking opportunities with Ukrainian and Dutch experts.
Organisational support includes a financial contribution to the Local Actors to organise the participatory process (salaries, organisation of participatory events, etc.) The exact budget will be requested from selected teams in the second stage of the project selection.

Cooperation will include:

March 2025 3-day Workshop in Ukraine with the chosen teams from the Hromadas and the Dutch partners to refine the projects and possible tools and strategies for citizen participation.
March to September 2025Implementation of the participatory process in each Hromada using the developed tools.
September 2025 - A final 3 day workshop in Europe with one member of each team to evaluate the results and generate the toolkits for further dissemination. 
 *By Hromada we mean team that includes representatives of the municipality and Local Actors (local civil society organisations, NGO’s, informal initiatives, activist groups, etc). 

Who are we? 

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.
(https://ro3kvit.com/)

INBO - An architecture and urban planning firm based in the Netherlands, specialising in the creation of sustainable living environments through innovative design and community engagement.
(https://www.inbo.nl/)

Play the City - An organisation that uses interactive tools and game-based methods to promote participatory urban planning. Play the City specialises in engaging citizens, governments, and developers in the co-creation of sustainable urban spaces. (https://www.playthecity.eu/)

STIPO - A Netherlands-based team focused on creating inclusive, resilient urban areas. STIPO emphasises long-term thinking, collective urban spaces, and social cohesion through collaboration between different stakeholders.
(https://www.stipo.nl/)

What are we looking for?

We are looking for spatial projects from teams which represent Ukrainian Hromadas that are committed to involve residents in the decision-making process. The proposed project should aim to address critical urban challenges in times of war. We encourage you to propose innovative solutions to a wide range of issues such as a community centre, centre for veterans, revitalisation of a vacant building, jobcentre, multifunctional bomb shelter, heritage preservation, and public place; to name only a few of many possible topics. 

Requirements for the application

- Size of Hromada: Up to 500,000 people*
- Region: Open to all regions of Ukraine
- Project Scale: Any
- Project Team: Must include cooperation between the municipality and a Local Actor

Selection criteria

Your proposal will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
1. Cooperation
- Clear and effective cooperation between the municipality and local actors
- Involvement of citizens in the decision-making process
2. Personal drive
- Strong leadership and motivation of the project team
- A clear commitment to participatory processes
3. Clarity of vision
- A clearly defined vision for the project and its participatory process
- The ability to meet the challenges of the current war situation
4. Local Impact
- The potential for long-term community impact
- Involvement of vulnerable groups as actors or targets
- Ability to ensure sustainability beyond the immediate scope of the project
5. Scalability
- Potential for the project to serve as a model for other communities in Ukraine
- Openness to sharing experiences and lessons learned for future projects

Timeline of the selection procedure 

25 November - 7 January - Open Call application period. To apply, please fill out project two-pager in the following form by link: https://forms.gle/Kf3dDdxnZmBVRP43817 January - Announcement of shortlisted projects (up to 20 projects)17-31 January - Preparing presentations for pitching (for shortlisted projects). We expect each team to have representatives from both the Local Actor and the municipality during the pitch, or to provide evidence of the relevant level of cooperation in this project (letter of support, memorandum of cooperation, etc.)31 January - 7 February - Pitching sessions for shortlisted projects14 February - Announcement of selected teams (up to 4 projects)14-21 February - Signing agreements with selected teams

For further information

Online consultation sessions for the applicants process will be held:
9 December 12.00-13.00
3 January 12.00-13.00
To register, please follow the link: https://forms.gle/V5YE4ut6gRCsKYbC6

We look forward to receiving your application and working with you on this exciting and impactful project!