Nathan Hutson2; Alisa Alexandrova1; 1 Ruhr University Bochum, Germany; 2 Kyiv School of Economics, Ukraine
Discussion
This paper investigates lessons learned from the planning efforts for the reconstruction of Mariupol, Ukraine, which remains under Russian occupation. It draws from the recently released book “A Vision for Mariupol: The Easternmost Gateway of Europe” as well as the official master plan for the city, which was recently submitted to the city government-in- exile, and a related study from the small town of Hirske, Ukraine.
The paper begins with a discussion of how the experience of the Ukrainian invasion has shifted our understanding of the concept of Urbicide and proposes a new framework for defining Urbicide in the 21 st Century.
The next section explores dynamic planning reforms that were instituted in Mariupol from 2016-2022 and explores how these practices have helped maintain a cohesive identity for the city in exile following its physical destruction. The main thrust of the paper examines how participatory urban planning has been used to maintain a sense of shared community among the hundreds of thousands of residents who were forced from their homes. Specific attention is paid to the role of “Ya Mariupol” centers for populations in exile in keeping the community alive by facilitating ongoing discussions with displaced residents on their priorities for reconstruction.
Through interviews with displaced residents, it further investigates what features of the city would likely be reconstituted following liberation and which features, such as the bombed Drama theater, would need to remain as blank memorial spaces out of respect for the dead. Interviews with refugees in Western Europe and the United States noted which features of Western city form and city administration they felt might be desirable to import into the Ukrainian context.
The paper concludes with a discussion of how the example of Mariupol has shaped the modern interpretation of Urbicide and how to reconcile the simultaneous interrelated phenomena currently underway on the territory of Ukraine: Urbicide and Cultural Genocide.
