Next week, on 17-18 October, Lviv will host the first International Agglomeration Forum in Ukraine. The goal is to develop high-quality solutions for the future agglomeration development in Ukraine, learn from European experience and strengthen cooperation.
The organisers are expecting representatives of the relevant ministry, MPs, city, town and village mayors, donor organisations, local government officials of the largest potential agglomerations and representatives of European agglomerations.
The panels will look at examples of community cooperation in Ukrainian and European agglomerations, discuss the development of agglomerations’ economic potential, the development of industrial parks and investment attraction. They will also discuss the challenges associated with solving common infrastructure problems and the prospects for legislative regulation of agglomerations and government support for their development. The event will also feature the best practices of the following agglomerations: Brno (Czech Republic), Upper Silesia (Poland), Basel (Switzerland) and Berlin (Germany).
The forum will also feature a community fair of the Lviv Agglomeration, which will showcase a variety of products, goods and services from local entrepreneurs.
The Lviv Agglomeration Association was established last year. It became the second in Ukraine and the first to develop a Development Strategy with the support of the Council of Europe. Currently, the association unites Lviv and 9 neighbouring communities – Zhovkva, Horodok, Pustomyty, Bibra, Velykolyubinsk, Davydivka, Zhovtanets, Kulykivka and Novoyarichiv – and is open to new members.
“Some people believe that an agglomeration or metropolis is the accession of surrounding settlements to a large city. In fact, the situation is the opposite. This is an opportunity for “small” communities to build equal and mutually beneficial cooperation without the threat of being absorbed by a “large” one. Having a formula for voluntary amalgamation of communities around the Lviv ATC, we can claim the status of an international metropolis with high investment potential for multinational companies,” said Roman Kizyma, Executive Director of the Lviv Agglomeration Association.
To participate in the forum, you need to submit an application and receive confirmation from the organisers. Registration is available here.
The forum is organised within the framework of the project “Strengthening Good Democratic Governance in Lviv Agglomeration”, implemented by the Lviv Agglomeration Association with the grant support of the Council of Europe under the Programme “Strengthening Good Democratic Governance and Resilience in Ukraine”.