A successful community where residents feel comfortable, businesses thrive, and the environment is protected is the dream of every city and village. A comprehensive spatial development plan is a kind of compass that shows the direction of movement toward this dream. It is both urban planning and land management documentation, as well as a tool for achieving Ukraine’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Currently, with the support of the USAID HOVERLA Activity, 16 communities have formed tasks for developing comprehensive spatial development plans, and eight of them have already begun implementation. All community members can join this process, as it is important that the comprehensive plan takes into account the needs and ideas of the residents.

USAID HOVERLA Activity experts share specific examples of how the comprehensive plan affects the development of communities in the future, for example, how it promotes the rational use of territories, protects the natural environment, and attracts investors.

Balanced community development

The plan clearly defines functional zones in the community, which helps to avoid chaotic development and find a place for different types of activities. For example, at a strategic session, residents of the Kivertsi community divided the territory into several zones. The first of them is rich in natural resources and is home to the Tsumanska Pushcha Nature Reserve. Even though this zone also has peat deposits and there were proposals to build a peat extraction plant there, the residents decided to preserve this area and not combine it with industrial use.

However, economic growth is impossible without industrial development. Therefore, residents have identified other areas in different settlements where factories that have not been operating for decades are located. It is important that the industrial zone does not overlap with the recreational zone, as well as the area where residents will be engaged in agriculture. In this way, the community's economy will develop, but will not dominate environmental protection, allowing residents to ensure an environmentally friendly living environment.

Attracting investment

Until a community has a comprehensive plan, an investor needs to develop a number of documents to assess the potential of the territory. This takes a long time and involves considerable financial investment. Usually, investors do not want to wait several years to start their projects. A comprehensive plan offers the investor a legal basis with a detailed picture of the community. This documentation defines clear rules for them where they can build an enterprise and where it is impossible because the community has decided to preserve natural resources.

The comprehensive plan ensures that residents do not have to worry that a waste incineration plant may appear on the site of their house or sanatorium after the change of government because this documentation guarantees that the territories will be used for their approved purpose.

New creative ideas

The development of a comprehensive plan is a lengthy process that involves local governments, public activists, businesses, and young people to the fullest possible. New ideas are born in joint discussions among community members. For example, in the Shatsk community, the comprehensive plan will be used to develop a detailed plan for relocating the paralympic training base.

In the Mizhhirya community, which is famous for its mountain rivers and mineral waters, the idea of locating health facilities along the rivers emerged during the discussion. Residents also suggested creating a “Wildflower Hub,” a space where mushrooms and berries collected by residents in forests and meadows could be sold.

The USAID HOVERLA Activity has been supporting communities in developing comprehensive plans since 2021. Comprehensive spatial planning is part of the efforts of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine to improve spatial planning at the local level and promote transparency in governance.