Urban Reform

Urban Reform is a Ukrainian NGO founded in 2014 in Kharkiv during the Revolution of Dignity and the onset of the war in eastern Ukraine. The organisation emerged from a strong civic initiative to influence urban development and strengthen community participation in shaping local futures. For over 10 years, Urban Reform has worked with more than 30 communities across Ukraine, supporting municipalities and residents in developing resilient, inclusive, and forward-looking cities. The organisation brings together local authorities, civil society, professionals, businesses, and youth to co-create shared urban visions and translate them into long-term structural change. Urban Reform’s mission is to promote healthy, equitable, sustainable, and active cities. It believes that cities should care for people, places, and future generations, and that lasting transformation requires participation, shared ownership, and strong local leadership. The organisation’s work is structured around four core directions. Design future: Co-creating urban visions, spatial strategies, and development plans grounded in research and spatial analysis. Engage people: Facilitating inclusive participation processes through workshops, co-design sessions, participatory mapping, and youth-led formats to ensure diverse voices shape strategies and spatial outcomes. Youth empowerment is a central focus. Make actions: Implementing public space and recovery projects, including temporary interventions, parks, youth centres, and multifunctional civic spaces that strengthen social cohesion and well-being. Support changes: Building leadership and civic capacity through long-term partnerships, methodological development, and training initiatives. Through Urban Reform School, the organisation trains a new generation of urban practitioners and community leaders, combining interdisciplinary learning with practical experience to strengthen Ukraine’s recovery and urban transformation.