Integrated Urban Development in Ukraine GIZ Project

GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment, energy and the environment, peace and security. The diverse expertise of a federal enterprise is in demand around the globe, with the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector and governments of other countries all benefiting from the services.

GIZ has two registered offices in Germany, one in Bonn and one in Eschborn, near Frankfurt am Main. Regional offices in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Munich/ Feldafing support Germany’s federal and state government departments in the field of international cooperation. The company also operates from about 90 offices around the globe, some of which the company shares with other German development organizations. Furthermore, GIZ is a member (in the sense of shareholder) of EUNIDA. The "European Network of Implementing Development Agencies" is an association of European national implementing agencies operating in the field of international cooperation.

GIZ sees close and trusting cooperation with organizations operating in the field of international cooperation and sustainable development as absolutely pivotal. Cooperation with a number of different partners enables GIZ to ensure that its contribution to realizing international cooperation objectives complies with the German Government’s standards in terms of coherence, efficiency and effectiveness.

For more than 30 years, capacity development has been one of the key services delivered by GIZ and its predecessors. GIZ supports people in acquiring specialist knowledge, skills and management expertise. It helps organizations, public authorities and private businesses to optimize their organizational, managerial and production processes. And, of course, GIZ advises governments on how to achieve objectives and implement nationwide change processes by incorporating them into legislation and strategies.

GIZ's diverse expertise is in demand in around 120 countries worldwide. On behalf of the German Government, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has been supporting Ukraine’s transition to democracy and the rule of law since 1993. GIZ currently implements projects and programmes on behalf of five German ministries, the European Union (EU), the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) at around 20 locations in Ukraine, with more than 300 local and international staff.

The current priority areas of German development cooperation activities with Ukraine are: democracy, civil society and public administration, decentralization, energy sustainable economic development, etc.

In addition, GIZ is assisting the Government of Ukraine to manage the crisis in the east of the country. In particular, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ is providing support to municipalities that are hosting displaced persons. GIZ is also working with the Ukrainian Ministry of Health on HIV/AIDS prevention, for example by supporting the country-wide ‘Don’t give AIDS a chance!’ campaign.

Based on its experience gathered in other countries (e.g. Germany, Romania) GIZ has been supporting the local authorities and other relevant stakeholders by implementing approaches of Integrated Urban Development in the Ukraine since 2009 in the framework of its project “Municipal Development and Rehabilitation of the Old City of Lviv”. The project, as a pilot one with a possible replication at a larger scale or at the national level, covers four core cities: Chernivtsi, Poltava, Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr. It becomes of paramount importance that cities understand methods and standards of modern city development as they are defined in the concept of integrated or sustainable urban development.

The “Integrated Urban Development in Ukraine” aims at preparing Ukrainian cities for decentralization and local self-government by supporting them in applying integrated urban development approaches in line with European guidelines and values as laid down in the European Charter for Sustainable City Development (the Leipzig Charter). A good understanding and application of planning standards and procedures helps define priorities for development and investments, provides a solid yet adaptable frame for decision making and thus contributes to the needs oriented allocation of resources in line with the interests and needs of the citizens.

The Leipzig Charter recognizes that sustainable urban development must warrant economic prosperity, social balance and a healthy environment. It recommends to put the cities at the center of development, to make greater use of integrated urban development policy approaches and to pay special attention to deprived neighborhoods.

Sustainable Urban Development is an overarching concept in which infrastructure is one part, yet a part that needs alignment with other functions of cities. The project allows demonstrating best practice in how to design and manage such overarching concepts and implement projects. It Integrated Urban Development in Ukraine allows demonstrating how to match long-term urban knowledge, planning and management as well as urban infrastructure financing.