A chance for reconstruction: Why Mykolaiv began work on the master plan in the midst of the war

In February 2023, the Italian office «One Works» published a report on the results of the first stage of the development of a new master plan for Mykolaiv. At the same time, it became known that the Danish company «COWI» joined this work, the focus of which will be the modernization of water supply, heating and sewage networks in the city. In this way, the Italian architects took responsibility for what will happen in Mykolaiv «on the ground», and the Danish engineers — «under the ground».

«NikVesti» tried to find out how and why at the height of the war the Mykolaiv municipality and foreign partners decided to engage in long-term planning of the future reconstruction of the city, focusing their efforts on the development of new urban planning documentation.

This article is an attempt to find out why, between a quick repair and a long-term design, the city chose the latter option, although in reality there is no clear answer at this time, who will finance this reconstruction and when.

The list of specific objects in Mykolaiv that will be selected by Italian architects for further reconstruction is still unknown. But there is a declared desire to implement 5 pilot projects and, taking into account their characteristics, we will try to visualize and predict what exactly can be built or reconstructed in the city, if these plans can be implemented.

From the very beginning of the full-scale war, the Russian army destroyed Mykolaiv almost every day. More than 1,500 residential buildings, more than 45% of social service facilities, and more than 40% of critical infrastructure facilities were destroyed or damaged in the city. The main institutions of higher education — Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University, Sukhomlynsky National University, Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding, schools, historical buildings, hospitals, factories and port infrastructure enterprises — were destroyed.

About half of the inhabitants of the city, which had a population of almost 500,000 before the start of the full-scale war, left. The war caused Mykolaiv not only physical destruction, but also caused the outflow of the population and the complete shutdown of industrial enterprises.

Mykolaiv wants to become an example for other cities

More than half a year ago, the European Economic Commission under the United Nations (UNECE) approached Mykolaiv with a proposal to start planning the future reconstruction of the city. At that time, a similar project for Kharkiv «UN4Kharkiv» was already operating, so Mykolaiv became the second city in Ukraine that cooperates with UNECE, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych told «NikVesti».

The European Economic Commission appealed to architects and planners around the world to work together with local experts on the development of perspective master plans for the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities. Thus, Italian architects from «One Works» and Danish engineers from the «COWI» group of companies, who were involved by the Kingdom of Denmark at the request of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, joined the project.

— Mykolaiv should have two documents: a development strategy and a general plan. And if the general plan is a visualization of what the city looks like, then the development strategy is its textual description. We wanted specialists with similar experience to handle this   development approx. Not technical workers who will write that nothing needs to be changed, but experienced people with good taste. They created something more promising and more evolutionary than what we dream of . After all, the townspeople are limited in their vision of Mykolaiv, because they live in it, — says the mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych.

The previous general plan of Mykolaiv was developed back in 2007, but its provisions were not actually implemented. The life of the city in documents and in reality was radically different. Land plots assigned to green or coastal areas were built up, and high-rise buildings appeared for some reason in the historic center of the city with a limited height.

In order to solve these problems, it is necessary not only to take into account legal conflicts, but also to comprehensively rethink the city territory, according to the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Mykolaiv City Council. That is why, in their opinion, this «long but true» path of developing a new architectural master plan for Mykolaiv was chosen.

— This will no longer be the city it was before. We are redefining the city with the help of new infrastructure, energy production from renewable sources, a combination of public spaces and private entrepreneurship, that is, quality of life, technology and services at the same time, — says Giulio De Carli, founder and managing partner of One Works, commenting on their work in Mykolaiv.

At the beginning of its work, «One Works» conducted a sociological study of the opinions of Mykolaiv residents regarding what they lack for a comfortable life. Approximately 15,000 questionnaires were collected, from which it was determined that people most often point to problems with public transport and the quality of roads, a low number of cultural institutions, unorganized public space, and the inaccessibility of rivers. Mykolaiv residents also complained about the lack of jobs and problems with the availability of housing.

In order to take these problems into account, in the future «One Works» master plan, a methodology was developed for environmental protection in the city, as well as handling household waste, water, and energy to mitigate the effects of pollution, says Deputy Director of the Department of Architecture of Mykolaiv City Council Yevhen Poliakov.

What do Italian architects want to build in Mykolaiv?

On February 18, 2023, the One Works company presented a report based on the results of six months of work, where it identified six main needs (in the original «pillars») for the sustainable development of the city, namely:

1. Green networks. Connect the landscape and water in Mykolaiv with the help of new green zones and corridors, designing them both for recreation and for production. At the same time, preserve the existing natural ecosystem.

2. Affordable housing. Focus on measures to restore the existing housing stock, and not only on the construction of new ones.

3. Sustainable mobility. Increase accessibility in the city and balance the road network in favor of «soft» transport (bicycles, electric buses, trams, trolleybuses, electric cars).

4. Industry + Innovation. Create new industries and stimulate the local economy through business parks.

5. Management. To ensure a long-term joint vision of the future for all municipal institutions and state bodies in the city.

6. Involvement of the community. Support the city's strategic goals through transparent, accountable and consistent community engagement.

To begin the successful implementation of the master plan of Mykolaiv, five «pilot projects» were identified, each of which corresponds to these six pillars of sustainable development of the city.

Using information from open sources, public comments of key participants in this process, as well as the main characteristics and requirements for projects, «NikVesti» tried to find out what exactly is proposed to be built or reconstructed as part of the post-war reconstruction of Mykolaiv. Currently, the most information is about pilot projects in the fields of culture and green zones, and we will start with them.

I. Pilot project «Significant monument of history and culture»

Initially, at least six well-known historical monuments were considered for this project, namely: Shuhiv Tower, Mykolaiv Observatory, Dykyi Sad hillfort, Fleet Officers' House, Old Fleet Barracks Museum Complex and Mykola Arkas Gymnasium destroyed by the Russians.

Later, as it turned out, the Department of Capital Construction of the Mykolaiv City Council, funded by the Kingdom of Denmark, had already started design work for the further reconstruction of this gymnasium. This was announced by the head of the city's education department, Hanna Lychko. Thus, it is possible to draw a preliminary conclusion that the First Ukrainian Gymnasium named after Mykola Arkas will be rebuilt separately and will not be included in the list of projects on which architects from «One Works» are working.

This opinion is also supported by the fact that on March 30, the first vice mayor of Mykolaiv Vitalii Lukov, commenting on possible objects within the framework of the pilot project «Significant Monument», did not name the former Mariinskyi Gymnasium in the list.

Regarding other historical objects, it is noteworthy that the Shukhiv Tower and the Mykolaiv Observatory are located close to each other at the highest point of the city — Spasskyi Hill.

Spasskyi Hill itself is a concentration of various monuments of history, both ancient and modern. In particular, at this place there were sanctuaries and burial places dated thousands of years before our era, which have not yet been fully explored by archaeologists. Near it is the Park of Young Heroes, where in 2021 a giant national flag of Ukraine will be erected, as well as the above-mentioned Mykolaiv Observatory (included in the preliminary list of UNESCO World Heritage) and Shukhiv Tower — a monument of local history and culture, the first hyperboloid structure in the world, which was used and installed for city water supply.

It is quite possible that due to the large number of landmarks, the detailed planning of Spasskyi Hill as a possible pilot project will take place comprehensively, and not separately for each of the monuments.

Another likely object for the pilot project, in our opinion, could be the House of Fleet Officers («Officer's Gathering» historical monument). In 2020, it was visited by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and instructed to include it in the list of the state program «Great Restoration». In the future, the local authorities never developed a project for its reconstruction.

In 2022, after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, the House of Fleet Officers became the center of resistance and volunteerism in Mykolaiv. It was here, at the call of the military governor Vitali Kim, that the residents of the city gathered in the first days of the war and started making «Molotov cocktails». Later, HFO became the headquarters of volunteers for humanitarian aid to the people of Mykolaiv and various gatherings for the needs of territorial defense.

Also, among possible objects of history, it is worth noting about «Dykyi Sad» — the oldest city on the territory of Ukraine, mentioned in written sources. The settlement is a contemporary of the legendary Troy, where people and goods flocked from all over the Black Sea region. During the last 15 years in Mykolaiv, there have been initiatives to build an open-air museum in the «Dykyi Sad», but due to a lack of funding, the idea was never implemented.

At first glance, the implementation of such a project is not very similar to the post-war reconstruction, but given the fact that Italian architects are engaged in the design, who traditionally pay a lot of attention to museification, such a development cannot be ruled out.

II. Pilot project «Green lungs of the city»

One of the most large-scale and bold «green» projects is the connection of the shores of Ingul and Southern Bug into a single embankment zone called the «Health Route». Architects are considering the possibility of creating a corridor that would connect Cathedral Square, Fleet Boulevard, Dykyi Sad with the embankments of the 8th Prychal and the Yacht Club.

In this way, a large embankment with a length of about 5 kilometers would be formed in Mykolaiv.

Previously, a similar investment project was registered in the Department of Architecture by Mykolaiv entrepreneur Dmytro Ivanov. He suggested connecting Fleet Boulevard with the protected area near the Varvarivskyi Bridge: «Residents of the Lahirne Pole microdistrict would be happy if there was an opportunity to reach them on foot from one more side. This would immediately increase the attractiveness of this area», — he commented.

Among other projects that are being considered at «One Works», the construction of a hydropark in the Namyv microdistrict. There is a large enough beach area where you can design places for summer recreation, ecological trails, cycling and walking routes. In 2016, the mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Sienkevych already announced the reconstruction of the beach area here with the funds of the Chinese company «Cofco Agri», but later, as it turned out, the company refused its promises.

One of the likely projects is the reconstruction and reinterpretation of Victory Park. The largest park in Mykolaiv, its area reaches 40 hectares. It is located in the center of the city, has convenient accessibility both for pedestrians — residents of the surrounding neighborhoods, and for passengers of public transport. «This is a place where architects and businessmen will be able to demonstrate their creativity», — One Works company says in the presentation.

Statements about the reconstruction of Victory Park from representatives of the Mykolaiv authorities have been heard for about 8 years, since the Economic Court recognized the lease agreement for the park for 49 years as illegal. In 2018, UAH 26 million was allocated for reconstruction, but the money remained unused.

After the local elections, a promise about the reconstruction of the park was made again, this time by the leader of the parliamentary majority, People's Deputy from the «Servant of the People» Davyd Arakhamiya. It was planned to complete the design by May 2022, and to build it already this year. According to Arakhamia, the Mykolaiv Alumina Refinery, which was then owned by the Russian oligarch Oleh Derypaska, allegedly agreed to finance the project. Currently, MAR is under arrest, and its owner is under sanctions.

Finally, another «green» project is called the Druzhba Arboretum, which also has access to the water. There it is possible to arrange an observation deck, berths for passenger transportation by water transport, and also allocate a separate area for commercial initiatives, for example, the construction of a water park.

III. Pilot project «Residential microdistrict»

None of the actors involved in the development of the new master plan have yet commented or named the possible locations where the new microdistrict in Mykolaiv is planned to be designed.

At the request of «NikVesti» to comment on whether there is a methodology for the selection of objects for this pilot project and what criteria this is based on, Yevhen Poliakov, deputy of the architecture department of the Mykolaiv City Council, explained that in the sense of «One Works», the reconstruction of a residential neighborhood is not only renovation or new construction of residential buildings.

When determining the location of the pilot project, the architects will proceed from the possibility of restoring a certain destroyed public object, around which residential infrastructure was concentrated, which was also affected: houses, yards, children's or sports grounds, sidewalks, parks, bus stops, and so on.

Based on this, it can be concluded that the subject of the new design could be, for example, a number of residential blocks on Bogoyavlenskyi Avenue near the Palace of Culture of the Ship district destroyed by a missile strike.

Also under these criteria is another territory of Korabelnyi district, where high-rise buildings on Okeanivska, Samoilovicha, and Aivazovskoho streets suffered significant damage.

In the Tsentralnyi district of the city, several residential blocks along Nikolska Street were damaged as a result of shelling of the Sukhomlynskyi National University and the Mykolaiv Polytechnic Vocational College.

In Zavodskyi District, we can be talking about residential quarters on Obraztsova Street between the Equator plant and the Crystal business center. Both of these businesses suffered significant damage from the cruise missile strikes, which also caused damage to surrounding buildings.

At the same time, the implementation of the project will not involve only the restoration of some individual building. The architects aim to design an ideal quarter taking into account the existing urban planning conditions, i.e. reconstruction will involve the reconstruction of the key building around which the quarter is concentrated, as well as the surrounding area: sidewalks, residential buildings, their adjacent territory and public space.

VI. Pilot project «Industrial park»

«One Works» is also studying the possibility of restoring industrial facilities by creating industrial parks — a special area for industrial development, allocated during the development of the city's master plan.

It should be noted that Mykolaiv already has the first registered technology park «Energy» in accordance with the Law of Ukraine «On Industrial Parks». The industrial area is planned to be placed on the outskirts of the city between Samoilovych and Oleh Olzhych streets in Korabelnyi district. Currently, this facility is at the stage of identifying the management company and developing design and estimate documentation for the arrangement of the future territory.

Another possible option for determining a plot of land for industrial development is the so-called second industrial zone of Mykolaiv in the area of the exit in the direction of Kherson between Kulbakine airport and Polyhon village.

One of the aspects that will be paid attention to during the selection of an industrial pilot project will be the possibility of deploying logistics chains not only by means of railways and roads, but also using water resources, according to project coordinator Yevhen Poliakov.

Therefore, this list also considers the territory of the Black Sea Shipyard, the owner of which is Russian and Ukrainian businessman Vadym Novinskyi, a former MP from the banned party «Opposition Bloc». In 2021, his company «Smart Holding» also announced its intention to create an industrial park called «Naval Park» on the territory of the Black Sea Shipyard.

In view of the current situation, possible arrests and complications in the management of the assets of BSS, the state Mykolaiv Shipbuilding Plant, in particular its northern part near the Temvod microdistrict, may become a more attractive area for designing a technology park with access to water. But since it is part of the city center, it may be more about light industry, for example, building and maintaining boats and yachts.

The very fact of a possible rethinking of the territory of this shipyard is quite resonant. The first shipyard was built here even before the founding of the city in 1787. Since that time, for two centuries, Mykolaiv was associated precisely as the «city of ships».

After the decline and closure of large shipbuilding enterprises, Mykolaiv turned into a port city and developed as a logistics center of the Northern Black Sea region. But the burden of nostalgic memories of shipbuilding did not allow us to look at this territory differently. In addition, every election, local politicians speculated with a slogan like: «Let's revive the former glory of the city of ships».

Pedestrian street Soborna in Mykolaiv, in the background — the crane of the MSP

Now this task is facing foreign architects, who can look at this territory without personal feelings and, perhaps, this will allow Mykolaiv to get in the center of the city not a huge neglected monument of history, but a new space for development.

V. Pilot project «Innovation district»

Another part of the Mykolaiv Shipyard on the southern bank of the Inhul River can become a possible territory of the «innovation district», say the interlocutors of «NikVesti» in the power circles of Mykolaiv.

We are talking about the possible concentration of educational buildings of the destroyed Mykolaiv universities in one place to create an academic town, the organization of a modern public space around them, new commercial real estate and a center for providing administrative services.

It is worth noting that the historic building of the Mykolaiv Admiralty (now the administration building of the plant) is also located on this territory. It is there that the office of the leadership of the Mykolaiv region and other authorities that previously worked in the building of the Mykolaiv regional state administration, which was destroyed by Russian troops in March 2022, can be arranged. There was talk of the possible relocation of the Mykolaiv State Administration to the Admiralty before, in particular in 2018.

The organization of such a public public space on the southern bank of the Inhul also opens up the Inhul River, which is currently closed to navigation, as the waterway passes through the water area controlled by the Mykolaiv Shipbuilding Plant of Ukroboronprom.

Not much is known about other possible locations for the implementation of the «Innovation District» pilot project. This can be, for example, the creation of a business center in the area of the former Dormashyna factory, the development of an undeveloped area in the area of the Sonyachny microdistrict, as well as a new construction on a vacant plot near secondary school No. 48 in Korabelnyi district.

The company «One Works» will determine which pilot projects will be included in the new master plan. This decision will be made as a result of consideration of the proposals of the Mykolaiv City Council, the Council of Architects, representatives of the Expert Public Council, as well as our own assessments.

Who will be responsible for implementation?

It is worth noting that the subject of the «One Works» work that we are investigating is the design itself. That is, the final result of their work will not be new neighborhoods, buildings and streets, but documents, plans and estimates.

Reconstruction and finding funds for it is a separate line of work for which Mykolayiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych is personally responsible. In a comment to «NikVesti», he said that in this matter he is counting on the synergy of three components: 1) investments from Western partner countries, 2) assistance from foundations and donors, 3) Russian money, which the city can receive as a result of reparations after the end of the war.

The mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Sienkevych and the planner of «One Wokrs» Anna Paez

Oleksandr Sienkevych notes that now no one can name a specific amount of funds that is necessary for Mykolayiv to be able not only to return to pre-war life and the level of the economy, but also to become more successful.

— It is necessary to prepare for the fact that Ukraine will be able to return to the pre-war level in no less than 5-10 years. I spoke with the mayor of Hiroshima, with people who worked during the reconstruction of the cities that were destroyed. I was in Rotterdam and studied their experience of rebuilding the city destroyed by the Germans «to zero». And I see that they have been engaged in planning for at least 10 years. The sooner we complete the design work, the sooner the restoration will begin. Ukraine is a big country. We see that there are cities that were not affected as much as Mykolaiv. I think that our state machine will be able to properly use resources to direct them to those places that most need support from the state budget, — said Oleksandr Sienkevych.

When asked what makes him believe that all these projects will be implemented despite the lack of funds for their implementation, Oleksandr Sienkevych says that it is impossible to bypass the design process and immediately proceed to construction. The master plan is what will be the foundation for the reconstruction of Mykolaiv.

— I understand that there will always be skeptics. But when we communicate with all donors, with the World Bank, with foreign partners, when they all hear that we started this work during the war and before everyone else, they say that we are on the right path. And this is where any work begins. For example, during a meeting with the mayor of Rotterdam, I offered their business to join the development of Mykolaiv port. I am interested in the Netherlands investing in the Mykolaiv port, because Rotterdam is almost the best port in the world. And in order to implement meaningful agreements, we need the first results of the development of the master plan. And so in everything, — says Oleksandr Sienkevych.

 

Mykolaiv faces a difficult task of post-war reconstruction, because those who evacuated are now asking themselves what the future of life in their hometown will be like and whether it is worth returning here, raising their children here and investing money in business? Is it possible to create an environment for a comfortable life here after the war?

In order to answer these questions, the local authorities took only the first steps — they started designing post-war reconstruction and developed contacts with international partners who are expected to help the city

The citizens will be able to get the final answer only when there is an understanding of where to get the funds for the implementation of these intentions.

Kateryna Sereda, Daria Fritch-Alchyna, «NikVesti»