Whitebook ‘Strong Cities – Strong Ukraine’. Whitebook on Reform of Administration and Law for the urban development in Ukraine.

Content:
  • The publication is based on intensive analysis of the present situation of urban development and planning in Ukraine. It compares the Ukrainian system and especially the laws of urban and spatial planning with the respective situation in Europe, the general documents (like the Charta on Sustainable European City, Leipzig 2007, the European Charta on Local Self-Government or the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN) as well as the selected practices. The reference model is mainly the model and practice of urban development in Germany.

    The background of the publication, the analysis and the recommendations are an intensive proving in four middle-sized cities in Ukraine, a survey in some more cities and a consultation process between Ukrainian and international experts. Several issues were analyzed like system of spatial planning, legal basis of urban planning, integrated urban development, land rights, different and separate cadastres, technical norms etc.

    The general conclusion is the following: The comprehensive system of laws and other legal regulations (more than 40 laws or legal regulations are relevant) is not orientated to support the objectives of an integrated urban development and the spatial planning based and implementing the contents of integrated urban planning. On the contrary, a significant number of laws and other legal regulations are constricting modern urban development.

    Moreover, the distribution of responsibilities and the processes in the multi-level administrative system of Ukraine don’t match with the principle of subsidiarity. They must be reviewed and changed following certain basic criteria as quality of public services, efficiency, citizen orientation, evidence-based.

    The Whitebook comprises four chapters:

    (1) The first chapter outlines proposals for a substantial reform. The core of these recommendations is a complete new draft of the laws on urban planning and construction. The recommendation is mainly orientated on the German model. A draft for a new Law on Spatial Planning is available (Annex to the Whitebook; see the article on Law on Spatial Planning in this Online-Library).

    (2) The second chapter describes the situation of the actual broad debates on reforms in Ukraine. This includes an overview how the core laws and legal documents are regulated. Moreover, the requirements for the different agencies and actors of the public administration are discussed.

    (3) The third chapter summarizes the statements and comments of the actors in the field of urban development and planning. It is an important part of the reform process following the principle of openness and participation. The draft of a new Law on Spatial Planning has taken in most of these proposals.

    (4) The fourth chapter informs on core regulations in European states and especially in Germany.

    This publication is based on the basic political reform programme the present Government adopted in 2014. This decision declares the European Charta of Local Self-Government and the principle of subsidiarity as substantial marks of orientation in the context of the EU association. The Whitebook is following this political orientation.

    A group of Ukrainian and German experts have worked out this Whitebook during twelve months until May 2017. An update probabely in another format - is planned.

    The publication is based on intensive analysis of the present situation of urban development and planning in Ukraine. It compares the Ukrainian system and especially the laws of urban and spatial planning with the respective situation in Europe, the general documents (like the Charta on Sustainable European City, Leipzig 2007, the European Charta on Local Self-Government or the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN) as well as the selected practices. The reference model is mainly the model and practice of urban development in Germany.

    The background of the publication, the analysis and the recommendations are an intensive proving in four middle-sized cities in Ukraine, a survey in some more cities and a consultation process between Ukrainian and international experts. Several issues were analyzed like system of spatial planning, legal basis of urban planning, integrated urban development, land rights, different and separate cadastres, technical norms etc.

    The general conclusion is the following: The comprehensive system of laws and other legal regulations (more than 40 laws or legal regulations are relevant) is not orientated to support the objectives of an integrated urban development and the spatial planning based and implementing the contents of integrated urban planning. On the contrary, a significant number of laws and other legal regulations are constricting modern urban development.

    Moreover, the distribution of responsibilities and the processes in the multi-level administrative system of Ukraine don’t match with the principle of subsidiarity. They must be reviewed and changed following certain basic criteria as quality of public services, efficiency, citizen orientation, evidence-based.

    The Whitebook comprises four chapters:

    (1)   The first chapter outlines proposals for a substantial reform. The core of these recommendations is a complete new draft of the laws on urban planning and construction. The recommendation is mainly orientated on the German model. A draft for a new Law on Spatial Planning is available (Annex to the Whitebook; see the article on Law on Spatial Planning in this Online-Library).

    (2)   The second chapter describes the situation of the actual broad debates on reforms in Ukraine. This includes an overview how the core laws and legal documents are regulated. Moreover, the requirements for the different agencies and actors of the public administration are discussed.

    (3)   The third chapter summarizes the statements and comments of the actors in the field of urban development and planning. It is an important part of the reform process following the principle of openness and participation. The draft of a new Law on Spatial Planning has taken in most of these proposals.

    (4)    The fourth chapter informs on core regulations in European states and especially in Germany.

    This publication is based on the basic political reform programme the present Government adopted in 2014. This decision declares the European Charta of Local Self-Government and the principle of subsidiarity as substantial marks of orientation in the context of the EU association. The Whitebook is following this political orientation.

    A group of Ukrainian and German experts have worked out this Whitebook during twelve months until May 2017. An update probabely in another format - is planned.

  • Plans / maps / photos:
    Bibliographic information:
  • Weißbuch zur Reform von Verwaltung und Recht für die Stadtentwicklung in der Ukraine, Ausgabe 1, Projekt Integrierte Stadtentwickling in der Ukraine, Kyiv, May 2017, 130 pages.

  • Additional Information:
  • Publication of the results of a working group (national and international experts) of the project ‚Integrated urban development in Ukraine‘ (German International Cooperation <GIZ>, on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Developement <BMZ>)

  • Date of publication:
  • May, 2017
  • Rights:
  • Open access (project document)

  • Contact Information:
  • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

    Integrated Urban Development in Ukraine

    7 Krutyi Uzviz, 2nd floor,

    01004 Kyiv, Ukraine

    Т   +380 44 581 00 02

    I   www.giz.de/ukraine-ua

  • Languages:
  • German, Ukrainian
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