Disability-Inclusive Planning and Resilient Cities: Outcomes from the UNECE Webinar

On 29 January, UNECE hosted the webinar “Disability-Inclusive Planning and Resilient Cities”, the third session of the Series on Inclusive Urban Recovery in Ukraine. Organized under the UN4UkrainianCities project, in collaboration with the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, UNDP Ukraine, Global Disability Fund (GDF), and GIZ Ukraine, the event brought together national and local authorities, UN agencies, and international experts to discuss inclusive approaches to urban recovery with particular attention paid to disability-inclusive strategies. The webinar aimed to show how cities can be reimagined to become more inclusive through universal design, barrier-free infrastructure, and participatory planning processes that fully involve people with disabilities. More specifically, the webinar addressed how Ukraine’s cities can advance disability inclusion in reconstruction efforts, aligning with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the principle of “Leave No One Behind.”    

High-level discussions on disability-inclusive planning and strategies:

The session opened with remarks from Ms. Nataliia Kozlovska, Deputy Minister of the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, and Ms. Paola Deda, Director of the Forests, Land and Housing Division at UNECE. Deputy Minister Kozlovska emphasized the importance of creating a barrier-free, stable environment in Ukrainian cities and highlighted the need to create public spaces accessible to all, advancing Ukraine towards international standards for inclusive cities. Director Deda underlined the opportunity presented by the current crisis in Ukraine to reimagine and redesign cities to foster dignity and equal opportunities for all, and then briefly outlined the event details.    

Openings were followed by an Expert Presentations session. Speeches and presentations were provided by Lisa Lamont Adams (GDF); Olena Ivanova (UNDP Ukraine); and Gunta Anca, European Disability Forum.  

These experts explored key topics:  

• The importance of pilot initiatives to address accessibility gaps in infrastructure, services, and policies; 

• Concrete measures to be implemented based on flexible-use and intuitive principles in public spaces, public transportation systems, and bomb shelters; 

• The need for inclusion of people with disabilities in design due to their expertise.

The Case Study Spotlight session of the webinar included a presentation by Ann Kristiin Entson, from Tallinn Urban Planning Department, who showcased the city’s experience in the Tactical Urbanism approach, showing some implemented projects across the city. Furthermore, Yurii Telipskyi, Director at Lviv Intercity Bureau of Technical Inventory, presented Lviv’s case study, highlighting the importance of accessibility for shelters and housing, and outlining practical measures for implementation.

Perspectives from Ukraine on Disability-Inclusion strategies 

The final session concluded with a dynamic Panel Discussion, during which speakers explored challenges and solutions for Disability-Inclusion strategies in Ukraine, exchanged perspectives, and responded to audience questions in an interactive dialogue. This session opened with an introductory video message by Tetiana Lomakina, Advisor – Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment, who addressed municipal and local administration's opportunities to intervene in this field, noting that disability-inclusion must be addressed at different levels through comprehensive work. Moreover, she highlighted the importance of training design professionals to enable them to use the right approaches.  

The moderator-led conversation included Ruslana Velychko-Tryfonuk, Member of the Interdepartmental Working Group of the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine – showing the need on improving legislation to create a barrier-free environment, nothing that disability-inclusivity is linked to security, energy efficiency, and recovery. Liudmyla Yaremchuk, Expert on Social Protection, Association of Ukrainian Cities – stressed that barrier-free accessibility is essential not only in large cities but also in small towns, villages, and territorial communities. Mariia Savchuk, Director of the municipal institution “Rivne Development Agency” of the Rivne City Council – drawing on Rivne’s experience, stressed that inclusivity cannot be addressed through fragmented interventions, such as isolated ramps or elevators, but requires a holistic, city-wide approach. Vitaliy Pcholkin, Head of All-Ukrainian Association of Persons with Disabilities “Active Rehabilitation Group” – underlined that creating barrier-free environments should not be treated as a situational or emergency response, but as a long-term approach, particularly given the extreme conditions faced by persons with disabilities. Dmitry Vasilyev, Architect, Founder and CEO of the architectural company Archimatika – concluded the dialogue emphasizing the need for a more systematic and strategic approach at the level of cities and communities to ensure coherent and effective implementation.  

The discussion underscored that disability inclusion must be a core pillar of Ukraine’s recovery, requiring coordinated action across policy, planning, and implementation. Speakers emphasized the importance of moving beyond isolated solutions toward integrated, city-wide approaches that strengthen accessibility, resilience, and long-term sustainability for all.

Looking ahead 

The event brought together 12 speakers and 826 attendees from 31 countries, with 91% joining from Ukraine. The countries with the highest rates of participation included Switzerland, the United States of America, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom. These figures demonstrate the relevance of the topic not only to the discussion in Ukraine but also to the broader international community. Women accounted for 73% of attendees.  

The webinar series will continue in the coming months, with the next session on “Cities for All Generations: Youth- and Age-Inclusive Urban Development”, scheduled for the end of March 2026. 

Stay tuned to discover the topics and dates of the following events!