Human-Geographical Assessment of Sustainable Development of Cities of Ukraine: Perceptive Component

Abstract

The problem of inclusive development has recently taken into account in Ukraine, although at the global level and in the EU such discussions have been going on for a long time, as well as key concepts were included in the documents shaping the international policy agenda. The paper aims to identify local markers of inclusion and/or exclusion within the capital post-socialist city, verify participatory approaches within the context of sustainable urban development research, and create a basis for developing recommendations for further improvement of urban policy in Ukraine. The example of the capital, Kyiv, a city that has been integrated into the global economic landscape for several decades, is the most indicative from the point of view of current and anticipated changes. The article outlines the main features of modern discourse in the field of inclusiveness and integrated urban development. On the case of Kyiv and a few urban neighborhoods, based on a survey and expert assessment, local features of the spatial measurement of inclusiveness, such as accessibility and openness of different types of infrastructural objects, organization of urban space, have been analyzed. The surveys, in addition to positive assessments of the availability of urban infrastructure for residents, and high quality of construction of individual facilities, simultaneously have been revealed significant shortcomings, especially for people with disabilities. The role of urban governance and international projects outcomes to achieve new goals of urban environment quality in Ukraine has been emphasized. The scientific novelty of the article is to identify local signs of inclusiveness and exclusivity in the capital city of a post-socialist country in the context of improving urban policy in Ukraine.