Yet amid the destruction, Ukraine’s second-largest city is doing something that can seem nearly impossible in times of war: preparing for a better future.
“We need to rebuild regardless of the war,” says Ihor Terekhov, the city’s mayor, “because if there is no reconstruction there will only be ruins and those who left will not return.”
Igor Terekhov, mayor of Kharkiv.
Kharkiv, once a thriving center of industry, science, education and culture near Ukraine’s northeastern border, has become one of the country’s most damaged cities since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
According to Terekhov, around 13,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, including approximately 10,000 residential buildings. Some 160,000 people have lost their homes. “Every day there are bombings and it is terrible,” he says. “Just staying alive is exhausting.”
Amid the daily attacks, urban planners, architects, engineers and international organizations are working alongside Ukrainian officials to imagine what the city could become after the war.
Waiting is not an option
At the center of this effort is the ONU4UkrainianCities initiative led by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), which supports the revitalization and modernization of Kharkiv and the southern city of Mykolaiv. The project aims not only to respond to emergency needs, but also to help cities rebuild in a smarter, greener and more resilient way.
Damaged buildings and a broken door in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
To many foreigners, long-term urban planning during an ongoing war may seem premature. But for those working on the ground, waiting is not an option.
“The country is still under attack and emergency works are still needed,” says Thâmara Fortes, architect and program director for the project. “But recovery and reconstruction have to happen in parallel.”
The idea, he explains, is that today’s emergency repairs also support tomorrow’s development. “If you build something now without thinking about the long term, in ten years it may no longer serve the city,” he says.
“So we’re helping cities think not just about the emergency, but also how those interventions fit into the future.”
A new master plan
That future is being shaped through a new master plan for Kharkiv focused on sustainable infrastructure, affordable housing, innovative public spaces and economic renewal. The project combines strategic planning with pilot projects that test ideas in real neighborhoods.
One of the most ambitious efforts is focused on Saltivka North, a heavily damaged residential district.
What began as an architectural competition has now moved into the technical implementation phase. Five residential blocks and a nursery are being redesigned with energy-efficient insulation, modular extensions and structural reinforcements.
The goal is practical: create detailed technical documentation that city authorities can immediately present to donors, investors or development banks when financing is available.
“We are moving from concepts to implementation,” Ms. Fortes says. “Not just analyzing and evaluating, but also giving cities something they can actually build.”
Bold initiatives
The broader vision for Kharkiv includes five major pilot initiatives that combine preservation, sustainability and innovation.
One project focuses on restoring the war-damaged historic center while adapting ancient interiors for modern civic and cultural use. Another goal is to transform industrial river banks into green public corridors along the city’s 25-kilometer river system.
A science and technology district near major universities aims to help retain young talent and diversify the economy, and coal-reliant industrial zones are being reinvented as clean manufacturing hubs powered by renewable energy.
The effort also extends beyond infrastructure. ECE and its Ukrainian partners are working on housing policy reforms at the national level, including legislation on social rental housing and housing stock management.
A destroyed building in Kharkiv
“Constantly under threat”
Meanwhile, local officials continue to grapple with the brutal realities of war. “It’s impossible to get used to this,” Terekhov says quietly. “People are constantly threatened.”
Still, he believes now is the time to think about how to restore the city and imagine the future. “People live today in the hope that we will rebuild everything.”
That hope is especially important in a city known for its architectural heritage. Kharkiv’s museums, libraries and historic mansions have been damaged. Terekhov recalls the attacks on the famous Korolenko State Scientific Library and the historic buildings near the city’s art museum.
“These are the pearls of Ukraine,” he says. “Some buildings cannot be restored exactly as they were because they were hit by several ballistic missiles. But we are trying to preserve this architecture.”
The reconstruction effort itself has evolved over the course of the war. According to Ms Fortes, one of the key lessons has been flexibility. “Sometimes there is no electricity. Sometimes there is no internet. Sometimes people are in underground shelters,” he says. “So we learned that the project needs to constantly adapt to the realities of the cities.”
“Cities need to be prepared”
Ukraine is forcing architects and planners to rethink the very design of urban space. New housing projects in Kharkiv now incorporate underground dual-use areas that can function as everyday public infrastructure in peacetime and become shelters during attacks.
“In times of peace, it can be a parking lot. In times of war, it becomes a shelter,” explains Mrs Fortes. The same thinking is being applied to daycares and schools, some of which are being designed with underground learning spaces.
Fortes says the approach is partly based on lessons from Finland, where many cities have long integrated civil defense infrastructure into daily urban life. Underground facilities used for sports, parking or recreation during normal times can be quickly transformed into emergency shelters if necessary.
She believes such ideas may become increasingly relevant far beyond Ukraine, as cities around the world face not only wars, but also climate disasters and other crises that require greater urban resilience. “The crisis happens at the local level: on your street, in your house,” he says. “Cities need to be prepared.”
A new vision dawns
In Kharkiv, preparedness now means more than shelters and emergency repairs. It means preserving communities, protecting identity, and creating reasons for people to stay or one day return.
“Our cities will no longer be the same as before the war,” says Terekhov. “We need a new vision.”
These interviews were conducted on the sidelines of the 2026 Summit. World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, held between May 17 and 22.