Common resilient public space to integrate internally displaces persons (IDP) - Community-based design as a tool to integrate internally displaced persons in cities of West Ukraine

Abstract

Public space is not only an important design component of the European City, with accessibility and well-designed places to strengthen the identity – so it is defined in the New Leipzig Charter of EU 2020 (EU 2020). In times of crisis like wars of aggression and climate change it also becomes a space of resilience for the increasing number of refugees, with their narratives and adaption strategies in a temporary new home. Especially in Eastern Europe public space was an area of protest autocratic regimes and for freedom and democracy in the last century (Kurth 2022; Cheung 2022).

After Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, more than eight million residents from the East flew to West Ukraine, the cities were faced with major challenges for which they were not prepared: the provision of housing, social and medical infrastructure, and jobs for internally displaced persons (IDP). However, it is not only the provision of accommodation or infrastructure that remains important, but also the integration of these people into the public life of the cities. There is a lot of support, but there are also certain misunderstandings between "native" and "new" inhabitants, due to language, mentality, or other factors.

The objectives of the DAAD and EVZ founded research project “Common resilient public space” had been, that the integration of IDP at their temporary hometown can be increased through the joint creation and use of co-designed public spaces, with participation in public events and workshops, and with a common project implementation (DAAD 2023; EVZ 2023). By contributing their ideas and resources to the redesign of public space, IDP are given an environment that becomes part of their new history. In creating new narratives in their arrival city, the IDP can adapt the new home without losing their self-identity.

In a trilateral dialogue between the "new", the local citizens and the local authorities the design ideas for the city center of Drohobych in West Ukraine had been developed in 2023. Together with students from partner universities Lviv (Ukraine) and RPTU Kaiserslautern (Germany) the residents developed and built new street furniture - as a "living room" of the center, in which every resident, regardless of age, gender or status, feels involved and identifies with it.

The results of the project show, that a common co-creation of public space with IDP can be successful, to redefine common and resilient public space in times of crises. This can be a fundament to rethink public space not only as a place of integration, but also of resilience against threats of climate change and of war impacts. For the reconstruction of cities in Ukraine the design of public space will be crucial and should be managed with high quality standards and pilot projects like IBA Ukraine initiative (International building exhibition) (IBA Ukraine 2023).