The works on Pl. Rynok Square is continuing the work on the arrangement of “accessibility paths” that began last year.
The authentic paving stones on Rynok Sq. Rynok Square is being dismantled, polished and reinstalled. Currently, the works are underway on the area on the right side of the main entrance to the City Hall, near the Neptune fountain.
“The works on the arrangement of accessibility paths on Rynok Sq. Market Square began in October 2023 at the intersection with Serbska Street. From here, the transition to Rynok Square was repaved with polished paving stones. Market Square and made a path towards the Town Hall. The passage from Halytska Street was also arranged. In total, last year, 326 m2 of paths were arranged.
Then the work was stopped due to the onset of cold weather.
At the beginning of this year, as the weather conditions allowed, we resumed the work. First, we made a small area of 56 m2. And now we are working on a slightly larger area to the right of the main entrance to the Town Hall, near the Neptune fountain. The area of work here will be 77 m2.
After this section is completed, we plan to start dismantling and grinding the pavement in front of the main entrance to the city hall. The area of work here will be approximately 300 m2,” explained the Galician district administration.
As a reminder, the utility company is working according to a scheme developed by the Department of Architecture and Urbanism of Lviv City Council. The project involves the arrangement of accessibility paths on Rynok Square. After all the work is done, the paths will be located without breaks throughout the square, including crossings over tram tracks and a barrier-free entrance to the City Hall.
Earmarked funds from Ukrainian and international partners are being raised for their arrangement. These funds are earmarked exclusively for the inclusivity program.
The reformatting of Rynok Square for the needs of people with limited mobility is only part of a large set of accessibility works being carried out in the city. It is about ensuring the inclusiveness of various institutions: commercial, municipal, and public. It is important that inclusiveness should be not only outside but also inside the establishments, including so that people in wheelchairs can use, for example, an accessible bathroom in a restaurant.
According to the Social Protection Department of the Lviv City Council, 5.6% of the residents of the Lviv community, or 47,500, are officially recognized as persons with disabilities. In addition, the city treats many military personnel who need a barrier-free environment and who are not included in these official statistics. Due to the war started by Russia, the number of people for whom it is important to have an accessible environment is increasing every day.