Planning Cities Together: Engaging Youth in the Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukrainian Cities: the UN4UkrainianCities workshop at the "All Ukrainian Youth Forum"
All Ukrainian Youth Forum – Ukraine 2036: Architects of the Future
On 8 September 2026, the All-Ukrainian Youth Forum “Ukraine 2036: Architects of the Future” will bring together more than 200 students representing 74 universities across Ukraine in Rivne. Organized by the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities, Rivne Municipality and UNICEF, the Forum will provide a dynamic platform for young people, national and local authorities, academics, development partners and private-sector experts to exchange ideas on Ukraine’s future. Through panel discussions, interactive workshops and open conversations, participants will explore youth participation in Ukraine’s recovery, emerging economic opportunities, artificial intelligence, education, future skills and pathways from learning to employment. The practical sessions will enable students to work alongside experts to transform their ideas into solutions, including through a UN4UkrainianCities workshop on youth engagement in the recovery and reconstruction of Ukrainian cities, using North Saltivka in Kharkiv as a case study.
Planning Cities Together: Engaging Youth in the Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukrainian Cities - the Case of North Saltivka in Kharkiv
Date: 8 September
Location: Rivne, Ukraine
Time: 15:30-16:30 EET
Organizers: UN4UkrainianCities (UNECE) and O. M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv
Duration: 60 minutes
Format: Presentations and participatory group exercise
Participants: University students from diverse academic backgrounds across Ukraine
The session will introduce students to the role of the United Nations in supporting sustainable, inclusive and resilient urban recovery in Ukraine, using the UN4UkrainianCities Housing Pilot Project in North Saltivka as a practical case study. Through a participatory group exercise, participants will review the site’s pre-design and explore how it can better respond to the needs of different user groups, enhance public and shared spaces, improve accessibility and safety, and generate positive social, economic and environmental impacts for the wider neighbourhood.
Each group will:
· Use the site layout to propose changes or additions;
· Identify the two or three ideas with the greatest potential impact;
· Explain how these ideas would benefit both future residents and the wider North Saltivka community.