WUF networking event - Rebuilding Homes and Futures: Urban Recovery in Kharkiv
Event Summary
In Ukraine, recovery efforts are increasingly shaped by the need to deliver sustainable and accessible housing, particularly following the adoption of the Law on the Fundamental Principles of Housing Policy. Against this backdrop, the UN4UkrainianCities Initiative is organizing a networking event focused on a networking event on advancing resilient, inclusive, and sustainable housing solutions, with a particular emphasis on reconstruction efforts in Kharkiv, one of the cities most severely impacted by the war.
The event will bring together Ukrainian national and local authorities, international partners, academia and relevant stakeholders working on the housing topic in Ukraine to review progress achieved to date and jointly explore pathways for scaling up recovery efforts.
Government representatives from Ukraine will present updates on the newly adopted Housing Law, highlighting how it strengthens the legal and institutional framework for recovery and modern housing standards. The Mayor of Kharkiv will outline the city’s reconstruction priorities and share its vision for rebuilding safe, resilient and sustainable communities. The O.M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv will showcase a key example of ongoing work and design proposals developed for the recovery of the North Saltivka district in Kharkiv, as part of activities implemented under the UN4UkrainianCities Initiative.
Representatives from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) will present their perspectives and share insights from Germany’s experience in supporting housing policy development and urban planning approaches for post-crisis recovery. This will include reflections on integrated, sustainable, and socially inclusive planning frameworks applied in the German context and their relevance for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Representatives from the international Financial Int. will present examples and pilot initiatives implemented in Ukraine, highlighting private sector engagement, investment approaches, and innovative financing mechanisms supporting sustainable urban reconstruction.
Despite ongoing challenges, Kharkiv and other Ukrainian municipalities continue to advance innovative housing concepts for most affected areas, grounded in community needs and resilience. Together with national-level experience, international cooperation, including IFC engagement, and ongoing reforms, these efforts highlight a shared commitment to inclusive, sustainable recovery and the future shaping of Ukraine’s housing system. Participants of the event will have the opportunity to hear directly about these initiatives and approaches from key national and international stakeholders.
Objectives
- Highlight the opportunity for Ukrainian cities to use housing reconstruction as a catalyst for safer, greener and more inclusive urban development;
- Showcase concrete examples of how cities can develop a modern housing system that strengthens long-term resilience and sustainability in Ukraine;.
- Present how Ukraine is aligning national-level housing reforms with local design practices and community needs, through collaboration within the UN4UkrainianCities Initiative;
- Explore international practices in housing reconstruction and urban recovery, including innovative financing mechanisms and opportunities to attract public and private investment for large-scale urban development in Ukraine.