Chernihiv development concept

Chernigiv's Urban DNA

The concept hinges on identifying what she refers to as the city's DNA—its core distinctive features. These features provide a lens through which all fundamental aspects of the city are examined. For Chernigov, the city's DNA comprises two primary characteristics: its rich cultural, architectural, and historical heritage, and its status as one of the greenest cities in Ukraine. Accordingly, the development strategy for Chernigov evaluated every key category, such as infrastructure and economy, through the dual perspectives of historical and cultural heritage and environmental sustainability. Read more

The development concept diagram presented here was created by Victoria Yakusha and serves as a versatile framework for guiding the growth of any city. This scheme was first implemented in the development strategy for the city of Chernigov Read less

Our partners and volunteers

This project would not have been possible without the invaluable support of our partners and the dedication of over a hundred volunteers. Their resilience truly embodies the strength of our community

Historical & cultural heritage

Chernihiv's architectural evolution spans several distinct periods: the Old Rus’ era, the Cossack period, the "Wooden Lattice Facades" period, and the Soviet era Read more

Our considerations

Preserving historical and cultural objects: researching the history of each building and assigning special status to them to safeguard from unnecessary alterations or destruction.

Collaboration with local historians, architects, and community members to identify and document these buildings. Creation of a database to track their historical value and architectural features

Integration of Traditional Elements into Modern Standards. It is proposed to incorporate Chernihiv’s unique architectural elements into modern architectural standards for future development, namely: public transport stops, benches, fences, decorative lighting, facades of buildings, schools, kindergartens, city navigation, advertising

Tourist Routes and Itineraries

We propose to develop enticing tourist routes that showcase Chernihiv's hidden gems by creating weekend itineraries for visitors that highlight historical sites, architectural landmarks, and cultural experiences, encouraging tourists to stay longer by emphasizing the city's unique offerings. Provide detailed brochures, maps, and digital guides that include historical context, architectural insights, and local stories to engage visitors with captivating narratives. Ensure well-marked routes, clear signage, and accessible pathways to enhance pedestrian-friendly areas and create inviting spaces for exploration. Collaborate with local businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and cafes to promote these itineraries and offer package deals that combine accommodation with guided tours

UNESCO World Heritage Status

We propose to advocate for Chernihiv’s architectural treasures to be recognized globally, working closely with relevant authorities and organizations to nominate key sites for UNESCO World Heritage status.

General plan of the city

We advocate for thoughtful organization of decentralized city areas, emphasizing the need for tailored educational, cultural, and sports facilities that cater to each area's specific needs. Read more

This approach requires additional investments aimed at improving local amenities, optimizing traffic management, boosting energy efficiency, enhancing safety in transportation routes, and integrating innovative urban solutions

Analysis of the city's destruction

We propose creating an interactive map of all buildings, including those on private property, to calculate the overall percentage of destruction. Our focus should be on preserving historical heritage by developing a comprehensive preservation program for historical sites. This program should include visualizing photos of historical landmarks on the interactive map and actively seeking funding to support these efforts.

Key City Arteries

We propose the following steps:

Revitalize the Stryzhen river: Make it the heart of the city by developing a project to clean the riverbed and install filtration membranes. Read more

Ensure barrier-free access to the reservoir and its banks, and develop modern infrastructure around the river

Implement the “City Garden” concept: Increase and expand greenery along the streets, create “green corridors,” and establish more small green zones throughout the city.

Promote ecotourism: Develop "green city" maps, tourist routes, and "health paths" to encourage eco-friendly tourism.

Enhance the Desna River embankment: Develop green areas and a city beach near Val, the historic center, to create a vibrant riverfront space.

Restore and upgrade the Chernihiv Water Channel: Focus on its recovery and improvement to ensure sustainable water management.

Sustainable environment

Our vision for Chernihiv's future includes lush landscaping and afforestation, ensuring essential facilities like schools, healthcare, shops, and services are within a 15-20 minute walk from homes to create walkable neighborhoods. Read more

We aim to create barrier-free pathways for people with reduced mobility and support local businesses by conducting surveys of small and medium-sized enterprises to understand their needs and integrate them into the community. By optimizing infrastructure, we will make the most of existing buildings and infrastructure to minimize waste and promote sustainability.

Revitalizing old industrial zones into vibrant spaces while preserving green areas and natural landscapes is a priority. Additionally, we plan to enhance areas around the Stryzhen, Bilous, and Desna rivers and plant new green spaces to create beautiful, accessible environments for everyone.

Designing a sustainable future for Chernihiv requires optimizing energy, water, food, and waste management. This involves using natural ecosystems to mitigate climate change, employing green infrastructure to revive ecosystems, minimizing natural disaster risks, utilizing wetlands for water treatment, and managing protected areas locally.

The IPCC forecasts significant changes such as altered precipitation, groundwater variations, shifts in vegetation, increased forest fires, desertification, and more frequent extreme weather events. To adapt, cities must strengthen hydraulic structures, promote eco-friendly transport, enhance sewage networks, improve building insulation, switch to electric vehicles, install climate control systems, add cooling features to public spaces, rebuild at-risk dams, add window shades, plant urban greenery, create biodiversity corridors, use permeable surfaces, establish rainwater storage, promote city gardens, plant trees, and set up water-purifying bioplants.

For waste management, the strategy includes separate garbage collection and recycling construction debris from war damage. The process involves strategic planning, collection, processing, and selling secondary materials, turning waste into useful resources for sustainable development

Sustainable infrastructure

Sustainable infrastructure encompasses several key initiatives: enhancing the bicycle network, establishing a low-emission zone in the city center, improving the public transport system, and promoting inclusivity, guided by the "Chernihiv Without Barriers" principles Read more

Bicycle network
A survey indicated the need to enhance bicycle infrastructure to make biking a viable alternative to motorized transport. This includes adding more parking spaces with bike service stations and drinking fountains, considering the city's topography and demand for bike routes and transport interchanges, and ensuring a conflict-free, uninterrupted bike network. Both urban and recreational bike networks should consist of comprehensive bike routes, not just paths and lanes. It's essential to fairly distribute street space among pedestrians, cyclists, and public and private transport, focusing on comfort and safety

Low Emission Zone
Introducing bike-pedestrian zones in Chernihiv could significantly reduce air pollution. Additionally, it would boost local businesses like cafes, restaurants, street vendors, and holiday fairs. It would also enrich the city's cultural life. Moreover, it would promote residents' health through activities like biking and running marathons

Public Transport: Before and During the War

To enhance Chernihiv's public transport, we propose several key improvements. Upgrading public transport stops with modern, well-designed facilities will improve the overall experience for passengers. Renewing and optimizing the fleet of buses and trolleybuses on both urban and suburban routes will ensure more reliable and efficient service. Implementing a unified fare payment system, with a single ticket system that can be topped up both offline and online, integrated with transport cards, and allowing for one-time payments via NFC, will streamline the payment process. These changes will foster transparent relationships between transport organizers and carriers, creating a cohesive and passenger-friendly transport system

Inclusiveness

Promoting barrier-free accessibility in Chernihiv involves raising public awareness through educational activities and engaging residents of all ages. Developing a comprehensive barrier-free strategy will address inclusion in pedestrian paths, transport, public spaces, educational institutions, cultural venues, sports facilities, playgrounds, and signage.

Creating the "Chernihiv Without Barriers" guideline will establish rules based on global best practices for architectural and informational accessibility. Establishing a dedicated advisory body within the city council will provide ongoing expertise on barrier-free issues

Residential buildings

Residential construction requires a strong focus on safety, accessibility, and barrier-free design for all groups at all times Read more

It also needs to ensure visual and acoustic comfort as part of hygienic standards. Aesthetics are crucial in shaping a community’s culture, so modern designs should respect historical contexts while meeting contemporary needs

Safety

To enhance safety, we propose installing independent protective structures designed for swift evacuation and rescue operations, offering a cost-effective alternative to reinforcing existing buildings. Our solution includes resilient, self-supporting shafts as universal rescue platforms. These multi-story structures are engineered to withstand collapse and can be installed on-site or through prefabricated modules, accommodating heights up to 12 stories.

Drawing on Ukrainian and international best practices, our program enhances city safety by strategically separating military and industrial facilities from residential areas. This minimizes risks during attacks. A robust warning system, efficient bomb shelter operations, and resilient housing designs ensure effective evacuation and protection of public infrastructure.

Comprehensive training for workplaces, schools, and kindergartens, coupled with modern anti-aircraft defenses, forms vital components of our wartime security strategy.

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is crucial for Chernihiv's reconstruction project, aimed at reducing Ukraine's overall energy consumption Read more

We're focusing on improving heating efficiency and incorporating:

Weather-dependent heating control
Wireless room temperature regulation
Automated energy supply tracking
Predictive energy consumption modeling

To enhance energy independence, we propose to modernize buildings and heating lines, expand renewable energy sources like wind and solar power, and develop Smart Grids. We also propose to utilize local materials such as algae, silt, and plant waste for construction and energy production. Implementing an efficient waste sorting system and establishing a processing plant further supports sustainability.

Pilot projects at institutions like hospitals and schools will demonstrate near-zero energy consumption practices, aiming for international certification to attract investment.

Construction of Solar Power Plants for Key Facilities in Chernihiv:

City Clinical Hospital No. 2 Solar Power Plant. To support the hospital's energy needs, we are constructing a 120.96 kW solar power plant.

Maternity House Solar Power Plant. To ensure continuous power supply, we are constructing a 69.12 kW solar power plant for this facility.

Preschool No. 46 Solar Power Plant. In our broader reconstruction plan, we are emphasizing the use of modern materials and energy-saving technologies to restore damaged buildings and infrastructure. This includes the construction of a solar power plant for Preschool No. 46 in Chernihiv.

Education, Culture, and Sports

We prioritize sustainable practices for educational and cultural institutions, using eco-friendly materials and improving energy efficiency in buildings Read more

We focus on developing residents' soft skills through dedicated areas for extracurricular activities, teamwork, volunteering, and sports. Our concept includes establishing sports centers in each district, restoring key facilities like the biathlon school and Gagarin Stadium

Chernihiv Polytechnic University will evolve into a leading educational and scientific hub, fostering partnerships with businesses, integrating new technologies, and advancing research and development to attract students and drive innovation.

To honor our history, we will build memorials and art installations commemorating wartime events, preserving our heritage for future generations.

Sustainable Economy

Our economic strategy for Chernihiv focuses on sustainability, innovation, and enhancing residents' quality of life, ensuring a vibrant future for our city. Key initiatives include Read more

Boosting income levels through robust infrastructure development to make Chernihiv an attractive place to live and work.

Upgrading Chernihiv Auto Parts Plant (ZAZ) to manufacture advanced trolleybuses and electric buses, promoting sustainable urban mobility

Modernizing Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants to phase out coal and adopting energy-efficient technologies for lower energy consumption.

Changing waste management with a new processing plant to promote sustainability and reduce environmental impact.

Attracting investments in renewable energy technologies, focusing on energy-efficient materials, batteries, and electronics production.

Expanding historic routes into two-day itineraries to enrich sustainable tourism experiences and heritage exploration

Nurturing the service sector, particularly IT and internet technologies, to support remote work opportunities and economic diversification.

Utilizing Chernihiv's water resources, including artesian springs, to support sustainable development and resource management.

Revitalizing light industry, particularly in sewing and textiles, to strengthen local manufacturing and create jobs.

Developing medical tourism with health programs and recreational retreats to establish Chernihiv as a wellness destination.

Digitalization

Several initiatives have been proposed to benefit residents - with a mobile application called "My Chernihiv", tourists - developing the Chernihiv Card, and local businesses - initiating a marketplace and implementing electronic approval for the design style of informational external structures Read more

For residents, there's a plan to develop a mobile application called "My Chernihiv." This app will offer information about local authorities, housing services, and the city's infrastructure. Additionally, a comprehensive notification system is in the works. This system aims to provide essential updates on city life, including traffic updates, accidents, planned road closures, and alerts for emergencies and natural disasters. Notifications could appear on traffic light displays, information screens, LED indicators, the "My Chernihiv" app, or through SMS

For tourists, we have several enhancements planned:

Revamping our tourist information center website:

Digitizing significant monuments and creating 3D models for virtual tours.
Developing diverse tourist routes covering historical landmarks, green spaces, war ruins, and unique wooden lace architecture. These routes are easily accessible via our website map, similar to offerings in LvivRegion&GO and Chernihiv region routes (details at https://chernihivregion.travel/routes).
Showcasing independent cultural projects like Chernigov Wooden Lace (details at https://demer.cn.ua) and Green Stage (updates at https://www.facebook.com/ZelenaStsena), highlighting our commitment to local cultural support.

Introducing the Chernihiv Card:

A unified ticket available in paper or electronic form.
Grants access to city maps, entry to museums, free rides on local public transport, and discounts at selected restaurants and shops citywide.

Business

We are initiating a marketplace to showcase goods from local entrepreneurs, aiming to:

Support social businesses through digital transformation.
Expand market opportunities and foster healthy competition.
Implement zoning for efficient distribution of local entrepreneurs.
Stimulate increased local economic activity.

Additionally, we propose implementing electronic approval for the design style of informational external structures. This project aims to streamline and digitize approval processes for infrastructure facilities. The benefits include quicker business openings, transparent compliance procedures, automated city administration tasks, and reduced corruption risks.

To achieve these goals, our plan includes developing a platform for downloading necessary materials and designs, creating an online designer for customized solutions, automating review and approval processes for reconstruction stages, and establishing effective feedback mechanisms to enhance collaboration efficiency

Marketing

Effective marketing strategies for Chernihiv include a variety of approaches aimed at showcasing the city's unique features - its rich history and green spaces - and promoting community participation Read more

Chernigov is not just a destination, it is a potential new home, attractive to professionals.

Points of engagement with the target audience (TA) encompass both online and offline channels

Online:

A tourist-focused website emphasizing historical and ecological aspects, featuring an adaptive version for accessibility.
Active city accounts on social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Coverage through traditional media outlets (radio, television, press) and influencer partnerships.
Free Wi-Fi access points.

Offline:

Branding on city lights and other promotional materials.
Distribution of brochures.
Merchandise made from eco-friendly materials, such as organic cotton hats, recycled plastic backpacks, and biodegradable bottles.
Leaflets promoting waste separation using recycled materials.
Eco-friendly candles from renewable sources.
Art installations and decorated cars throughout the city.
Infrastructure enhancements including eco-friendly street lights, furniture, vases, information boards, and garbage cans.
Signs crafted from recycled materials.
Benches equipped with Wi-Fi hotspots.
Pedestals adorned with city-themed decorations at entry points.
Designated photo zones.
Official sticker packs for public use.

Effective Marketing Strategies:

Effective marketing strategies for Chernihiv encompass a variety of approaches aimed at showcasing the city's unique attributes and fostering community engagement:

Produce a documentary highlighting Chernihiv's cultural and historical heritage, providing a compelling visual narrative.
Secure endorsements from local, national, and international figures who visit and recommend Chernihiv, boosting its appeal and credibility.
Utilize mass media, websites, social networks, and YouTube to share stories of local residents, events, history, developments, businesses, and everyday life, leveraging video formats for engaging narratives.
Optimize Chernihiv's official social media channels and tourist-oriented website for SEO and SERM to enhance online visibility and ensure consistent communication of the city's attractions.
Actively engage with residents and visitors across social networks to foster community pride and promote local accounts, building a supportive online community.
Create diversified tourist routes highlighting historical, cultural, and eco-friendly experiences, supported by informative signage detailing each site's significance and preservation efforts.
Host historical and environmental events such as festivals, conferences, fairs, seasonal celebrations, and hackathons to showcase Chernihiv's cultural richness and commitment to sustainability.
Implement city branding across physical touchpoints including street lights, murals, signage, and information plaques to reinforce Chernihiv's identity and heritage within urban settings.
Install art pieces and designated photo spots throughout Chernihiv to encourage local content creation and engage visitors, enhancing the city's cultural appeal.
Foster partnerships with international funds and European sister cities to expand Chernihiv's global network and initiatives, positioning the city prominently on the international stage.