Project Restart
Ukraine: Rebuilding a battered country
The Ukrainian initiative Restart, which we support, is developing plans for rebuilding the country with a view to making society more resilient and the infrastructure greener and more inclusive. What does this look like in practice? A look at two model regions on which Restart is focusing provides some answers.
Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia's war of aggression since February 2022. Amidst the destruction and suffering, Ukrainians are showing impressive resilience. Oleksandr Shevchenko, founder of the Restart initiative, is one of those who refuse to surrender to fate. “War is about taking responsibility,” he says.
Reconstruction with vision
Shevchenko and his team of urban planners, architects, and project managers have a clear vision: “We are working on plans to rebuild Ukraine. More modern, greener, and more resilient,” he explains. To this end, they have developed a multi-stage process that ranges from analysis to the implementation of reconstruction plans.
To assess the extent of the destruction, Restart uses digital platforms and satellite data. The team relies on a six-level scale used in Japan to categorize building damage caused by natural disasters. This method provides the basis for a detailed nationwide damage report.
After initial difficulties in applying the method to large cities, the team finally focused on smaller municipalities. “The average Ukrainian municipality has 30,000 inhabitants,” explains Shevchenko. “We realized that we could achieve more in such a municipality – and that a successful example could serve as a blueprint for the reconstruction of other parts of the country.”
is a Ukrainian NGO working on the postwar recovery of Ukrainian cities and territories. The approach is data-driven and brings global practices to solve local challenges.
How can infrastructure hold society together?
When choosing a model region, the Restart team opted for Voznesensk in southern Ukraine. The region lies within the sphere of influence of the front line; rockets regularly strike here, destroying schools, kindergartens, and power plants. Added to this is the fact that, as in many municipalities in Ukraine, the social structure in Voznesensk has changed. Long-time residents who have stayed behind are encountering returnees and people who have fled occupied or devastated regions. They are joined by veterans returning from the front.
They all have to find a way to make a living locally and renegotiate how they live together. If this fails, more and more people will decide to move away, and the country will become depopulated. “We have seen that it is important to support infrastructure in regions like this right now. Then people will decide to stay, which in turn is important for our society,” says Shevchenko.
In January 24, the Restart team visited Voznesensk, where they presented the analysis of the sectoral report to the locals. It is crucial for the team to involve the local population when developing a comprehensive model for the municipality recovery - locals are the best experts in their city.
The Restart planners have developed a comprehensive approach for Voznesensk. Three areas of action illustrate this approach: First, a regional entrepreneurship center is to be established here, which will house small technology companies that build drones, for example, or building material suppliers. Second, shelters are to be built in all schools and kindergartens so that children can attend them safely. Thirdly, Restart wants to decentralize energy production to minimize outages caused by air strikes.
A particular challenge: integrating war veterans
Restart is now launching a new project with a special focus on soldiers returning to their communities from the front lines, often wounded in body and soul. There are already hundreds of thousands of them, and the number is rising steadily. “We want to help these people get back on their feet in civilian life,” says Shevchenko. Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine has been selected as a model region for this project.
The Restart team wants to map the region's infrastructure in a model and use an analysis tool to identify opportunities and obstacles for the integration of war veterans. Particular attention is being paid to hospitals and urban infrastructure.
Shevchenko and his team consider the time veterans spend in hospital to be crucial for their full recovery. If veterans do not learn to process their war experiences, there is a high risk that they will isolate themselves at home or fail to integrate in general.
Removing obstacles – even the seemingly small ones
Even seemingly minor obstacles in the everyday lives of war veterans can have a major impact. “It is often underestimated that even a high curb can be an obstacle for someone who has lost a leg,” explains Shevchenko. To identify and remove such barriers, Restart is planning training courses for veterans.
In addition, the project focuses on social integration through sports and cultural events. “This brings veterans into contact with people in the city,” says Shevchenko. He emphasizes: “We owe these people a debt of gratitude. They defended our country.”
In this dossier, we report on the people in Ukraine whom we support. Our commitment in the country focuses on the future: for a strong Ukraine in Europe.