School of Community Recovery: a lecture by an American professor brought together more than 130 participants from all over Ukraine

As part of the first Ukrainian School of Community Recovery, a public lecture took place. It was attended not only by the School's students but also by all the interested. Mat Bell, a renowned professor of architecture at the University of Maryland, shared his international experience of rebuilding after the World War II destruction and spoke about current global trends in urban space creation.

This topic is highly relevant for Ukrainian communities seeking recovery after the war. The main message from the professor was that no matter how extensive the destruction, everything can be rebuilt with the right approach.

During the lecture, the participants learnt about the examples of small towns in France that recovered after the World War II. Particular attention was paid to preserving the historical, architectural and cultural uniqueness of these towns while meeting the modern needs of their residents. The professor emphasised the importance of creating a comfortable urban space regardless of the size of the community, while also highlighting the role of dialogue with residents and their involvement in the planning and restoration process.

It is worth reminding that the School of Community Recovery aims to train municipal managers for the large-scale process of restoring the country. 

"The School of Community Recovery," founded by the Association of Ukrainian Cities and the NGO "Mariupol.Reborn," aims to train municipal managers for the recovery period. The project is supported by the UK Government through the UK International Development programme and the International Republican Institute (IRI Ukraine) in partnership with Metinvest and SCM. Educational partners of the project are Metinvest Polytechnic, the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and the Ukrainian School of Management.