Launched in January 2023 by the European municipal network Eurocities in partnership with the Association of Ukrainian Cities, "Sustainable rebuilding of Ukrainian cities" is an initiative designed to establish direct municipal partnerships for sustainable post-war recovery in Ukraine.
The initiative operates on a peer-to-peer learning methodology. During its initial pilot phase between January and October 2023, the project matched 36 European member cities with 10 Ukrainian cities and agglomerations. Through structured capacity-building workshops and technical exchanges, the programme helps Ukrainian local authorities assess critical recovery needs, test planning methods, and formulate reconstruction blueprints. The initiative aligns recovery strategies with the principles of the European Green Deal and the New European Bauhaus, prioritising climate neutrality, resilience, and circularity. In addition to technical exchange, the project focuses on preparing Ukrainian municipalities to navigate European Union funding mechanisms, secure direct financial aid, and engage private sector investment in coherence with G7 and EU coordination platforms.
In May 2024, Eurocities published the project’s central output: a comprehensive toolkit available in both Ukrainian and English. The publication consolidates successful municipal practices from across Europe to help Ukrainian city administrations draft recovery strategies. The toolkit is structured around five strategic domains: integrated urban planning, clean energy and energy efficiency, disaster risk reduction and resilience, circular economy practices, and sustainable urban mobility.