State Secretary Adler and Minister Zubko honour three cities in Ukraine
The Federal Building Ministry and the Ukrainian Ministry for Regional Development opened the first German-Ukrainian conference on urban development in Kiev today. At the event, the Leipzig prize for integrated urban development in Ukraine will be awarded for the first time. Ninety-four projects from 42 Ukrainian cities and communities applied for these prizes, worth 25,000 euros in total.
State Secretary for Building Gunther Adler remarked: "Integrated urban development can strengthen cohesion in Ukrainian cities and communities. All parts of society should be able to participate in local decision-making processes. The broad resonance of the Leipzig prize competition shows that Ukraine is well on the way to reforming and decentralising its system. The number and quality of the submitted projects are remarkable and show that integrated urban development is an important topic for Ukrainians and that it affects other policy areas."
The prize competition, launched in summer 2016, aims to support sustainable development in cities and neighbourhoods in Ukraine and to improve cooperation between city administrations, politics, industry, science and society. A jury of experts from Germany and Ukraine evaluated the 94 submitted projects and chose the winners. Gunther Adler, State Secretary at the Federal Building Ministry, and Gennadij Zubko, Ukrainian Minister for Regional Development, honoured the three winners today.
First prize went to the project "Urban Workshop 2016" by the city institute of Lviv. For several years, the workshop has offered a platform for cooperation among interested parties and invites participants to become stakeholders. This project makes Lviv a role model in all aspects of integrated urban development.
Second prize was awarded to the non-governmental organisation Teple Misto’s project "Urban Space 100: inclusive platform and community fund". The project’s high level of innovation, its combination of elements and use of new media all led to its commendation.
The project "Cultural revitalization strategy for the city of Slavutych", by the non-governmental organisation 86, received third prize. The strategy of cultural revitalisation gave the city its unique identity and made it a magnet for contemporary independent culture.
The conference, which started today, is the beginning of more in-depth cooperation between Germany and Ukraine in the area of integrated urban development. It contributes to the reform process in Ukraine and, with more than 300 participants, brings together urban development experts from politics, administration, science, industry and civil society. This dialogue aims to further build upon the successful vision of integrated urban development in Ukraine.
The conference focusses on climate-friendly and strategic urban development, strengthening civil society and social cohesion. The participants are also to discuss the current status and the future of the administrative and legal reform of urban development in Ukraine. A new internet platform will provide a venue offering Ukrainian cities interactive exchange, mutual support and a place to share best practices.
The German-Ukrainian cooperation on urban development is currently being financed with funds from the environmental technologies export initiative.