The White Paper is the latest output in the initiative with Fast Forward 2030 to support long-term sustainable prosperity in a post-conflict Ukraine. Collaborators congregated at Somerset House to mark the launch of the timely report, which brings together the interdisciplinary insights of over twenty thought leaders, researchers and entrepreneurial innovators from across Ukraine and the UK.
In the opening pages, Professor Dame Henrietta Moore, founder and director of the Institute for Global Prosperity, reminds readers:
“Building back better is something that Ukraine is involved in every day – rebuilding does not wait for peace,. Beyond the immediacy of creating shelter, care and safety for its citizens, Ukraine has undertaken an impressive commitment to designing its future.”
A panel discussion, hosted by Fast Forward 2030 co-founder Arthur Kay at the London Design Biennale, explored ways of harnessing cutting-edge design and nature-based solutions to encourage refuge, healing and long-term sustainable prosperity for Ukrainian communities.
Justin Morey, author of a chapter on Transit-Oriented Development pointed out:
“It’s about connections between central and local government, ensuring benefits can be provided locally and to provide jobs in the future – not just for the nation, but for the people who live there.”
To discuss how to achieve this, the White Paper puts forward think pieces from a number of leaders including the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko as well Minister Gareth Thomas MP from the UK Department for Business and Trade, digital infrastructure pioneer Martha Lane Fox CBE and the Director of the new V&A East, Dr. Gus Casely-Hayford OBE. Aligning with their expertise, they explain what they believe reconstruction efforts need to achieve in their respective sectors, the challenges to be addressed along the way, and how cutting-edge ideas can inform successful delivery.
Ideas from a number of innovative enterprises are also platformed in the paper, who are already thinking ahead as they build sustainable and ethical business solutions for housing, urban design and construction. This includes housing laboratory METALAB and landscape architecture firm Kotsiuba, dedicated to transforming Ukrainian cities for their people, alongside companies like Biohm, adapting waste to develop circular construction materials out of bio-based materials.
Biohm’s Chief Evolution Officer, Dr. Ehab Sayed explained:
“With innovative technologies and new approaches to manufacture and development, we can move away completely from requiring any non-renewable resources of any sort,” . “And we’re able to achieve that through in-depth scientific advancements across various fields.”
To make the most of the diverse milieu of skills and knowledge between Ukraine and the UK, developing models that reinforce collaborative exchange and citizen engagement will be key.
“We use Spiral Dynamics to understand the local context and then build injections of finance and funding to support the dynamic needs of local communities,”
Dr. Sayed explained as an example.
“It’s [a development model] used in peace negotiations as a way of understanding the world views that exist within a single culture or a single community.”
Building back better for Ukraine requires international support that strengthens the bonds between citizens, their cities and governments, and funding will be key for this. “We have to use that wealth while we’ve got it to build a really resilient and liveable sustainable country,” Peter Harrington from Arup pointed out onstage. “It’s an incredible opportunity to fund the things that we’ve been talking about; but it’s so easy to waste.”
Professor Dame Henrietta Moore reminds readers that
“beyond the immediacy of creating shelter, care and safety for its citizens, Ukraine has undertaken an impressive commitment to designing its future.”
Alice Charles –Director of Cities, Planning and Design at Arup
Anastasia Bobrova – Director of Cedos and curator at the Ukrainian
Urban Forum
Craig Browne – Special Assistant to the Country Director at the United
Nations World Food Programme in Ukraine
Dr. Adrianna Murphy – Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine and Co-Chair of the Lancet
Commission on the Future of Ukraine’s Health System
Dr. Erica Richardson – Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine and Co-Chair of the Lancet
Commission on the Future of Ukraine’s Health System
Dr. Gus Casely-Hayford OBE – Director of V&A East and cultural historian
Dr. Linda Powers Tomasso – Research Associate and Course leader, Harvard T.H.
Chan School of Public Health
Justin Morey – Government Partnerships Lead, BDP
Martha Lane Fox CBE – President of British Chambers of Commerce and
digital entrepreneur
Nataliya Katser-Buchkovska – Energy transition expert and former member of
Ukrainian parliament
Orysia Lutsevych OBE – Head, Ukraine Forum at Chatham House
Professor John D. Spengler – Professor of Environmental Health and Human
Habitation, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Professor Mark Miodownik MBE – Director of University College London’s Institute
of Making
Professor Vlad Mykhnenko – Professor of Geography and Political Economy,
University of Oxford
Richard Ragan – United Nations World Food Programme Country Director in Ukraine
Professor Dame Henrietta Moore – Founder and Director, Institute for Global Prosperity
Arthur Kay – Founder, Skyroom and Co-founder at Fast Forward 2030
Eva Coulibaly-Willis – Research Associate, Institute for Global Prosperity
AICHITECT https://aichitect.xyz
BDP (Building Design Partnership Ltd) https://www.bdp.com
Biohm https://www.biohm.co.uk
Bryden Wood https://www.brydenwood.com
Cedos https://cedos.org.ua/en/
GreenBlue Urban https://greenblue.com/gb/
Kotsiuba https://kotsiuba.com/en
METALAB https://metalab.space/en/
Vertical Future https://www.verticalfuture.co.uk
Further reading
- Henrietta Moore, Why Ukraine’s citizens must lead the country’s recovery. Read the full piece on Substack.
- News piece announcing launch: Bridges for Ukraine: IGP Launches Vision for Reconstructing Ukraine
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