This paper is one of nine drafted by national entities in Ukraine as part of a UN-Habitat-commissioned collection entitled Thematic Paper Series Informing Urban Recovery Approaches in Ukraine. The paper examines how urban citizenship, civic participation and community engagement have evolved in Ukraine, and what they mean for inclusive and democratic urban recovery. It explores the influence of Soviet-era governance, post-independence political transformations, decentralisation reforms, the full-scale invasion, and how residents engage with their cities.
The paper finds that civic participation has become increasingly active and networked, particularly through volunteering and grassroots initiatives, but remains uneven across cities and population groups. Formal participation mechanisms can be ineffective or symbolic, while unequal access to information, digital exclusion, misinformation and limited trust constrain meaningful engagement. The paper highlights the need to embed urban citizenship into recovery planning by strengthening residents’ influence over decisions, recognising diverse forms of belonging and participation, and connecting informal civic initiatives with longer-term urban governance.
Поделиться