Lithuania, Borodyanka and Bucha sign Memorandum of Understanding on the development of a 3D city planning
The Minister of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania Simonas Gentvilas, along with Viktor Romanyuk, a representative of the City Council of Borodyanka in the Kyiv region of Ukraine, and Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruko of Bucha, signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at developing a 3D urban planning tool to aid in the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities affected by war.
"This marks a timely commencement of the project, given that Ukrainian cities impacted by the war are in the process of formulating new master plans. Lithuania's innovative solution—a digital tool—expedites this process, saving time and resources, enhancing transparency, and bolstering citizen trust. Furthermore, it can be adapted for use in any other Ukrainian city, mitigating the risk of physical destruction," says Simonas Gentvilas.
The project will be executed by the Construction Sector Development Agency and will establish a platform for displaying ongoing and planned construction projects in Borodyanka and Bucha in three dimensions. It will also assess their environmental and population impact.
The head of SSVA Aidas Vaičulis emphasized the convenience of this tool for those contributing to the reconstruction efforts in terms of both design and construction work: "We hope that it can be successfully applied in other areas affected by the brutal war, and that Lithuania's experience in 3D city planning will facilitate the quicker construction of energy-efficient and sustainable buildings in Ukraine."
The initial phase of the project will involve developing a digital platform, collecting, and uploading 3D city images, and using this as the foundation for creating a customized 3D planning tool for Ukrainian cities.
Tom Gulbin, the Special Project Manager for Ukraine at SSVA, added, "The project developed by SSVA and its partners is a smart digital solution for Ukrainian cities, aiding in their post-war reconstruction. This is an internationally shared objective. 3D urban planning will enhance the planning and efficiency of all reconstruction projects."
Lithuania will also provide training for municipal staff in Borodyanka and Bucha to explain how to use the tool on its further development and improvement.
The 3D planning tool is anticipated to be ready by the second quarter of 2024.
The parties also expressed their mutual interest in further developing their cooperation and solidarity and in fulfilling their international commitments.
The municipalities in the Kyiv region have suffered extensive damage from the Russian offensive, impacting thousands of buildings.