A nationwide online conference “Spatial Planning for Recovery, Development and Investment” was held recently, during which representatives from central government, the expert community, the business sector, and communities discussed the role of comprehensive spatial development plans in the recovery of territories and the attraction of investment. The participants paid special attention to the experience of frontline communities in Kharkiv region, which continue to implement spatial planning amidst the war.

According to the law, all communities in Ukraine must develop comprehensive spatial development plans by 1 January 2028. However, only a few communities have currently approved such plans, even though their existence is often becoming a key condition for cooperation with investors and economic recovery. Based on the results of a study conducted by the NGO “Association of Land Management Professionals of Ukraine”, as of March 2026:

• nearly half of the communities have decided to develop a plan;
• nearly 30% of the communities have already started developing comprehensive plans;
• 17 communities have developed comprehensive plans;

This demonstrates that even during wartime, communities recognise that effective restoration and development are only possible through careful planning of resource use and a clear vision for the future of the territory.

A comprehensive plan involves an audit of all the community’s resources – land, infrastructure and human – and defines how each part of the territory will be used. This helps to avoid haphazard development, simplify licensing procedures for businesses and citizens, reduce corruption risks, and ensure transparent rules for investors.

Spatial planning as a tool for the survival of frontline communities

Representatives of the Rohan and Pisochyn communities in Kharkiv region – territories located in the frontline zone that have suffered significant economic hardship and infrastructure damage – shared their experiences of implementing spatial planning. Despite these challenges, with the support of the AGRO Programme, funded by the US Government, these communities were among the first in Ukraine to develop comprehensive spatial development plans.

Mariia Chernenko, Head of the Rohan Settlement Military Administration, emphasised that for communities that are subject to large-scale shelling, spatial planning is a key condition for restoration.

‘When a community has suffered significant destruction – of housing stock and infrastructure – it is very important that reconstruction is not chaotic, with sites being selected on an ad hoc basis. There should be clear planning that provides an understanding of what we are doing and why, and what results we will achieve in the future,’ she noted.

She added that the work done on the comprehensive plan prior to the full-scale invasion proved useful even during the most intense period of hostilities. In particular, it was used to support the functioning of the community amidst a constantly changing security situation. Today, the community already has systematic information on land resources and infrastructure, and the comprehensive plan is constantly being adapted to current conditions. These efforts have enabled an increase in local budget revenue of UAH 3.5 million annually. Thanks to the comprehensive plan, donor funding has been secured to restore the water supply, modernise commercial property, and adjust the development strategy of the community in line with the realities of the war.

Oleh Chernobai, Mayor of Pisochyn, emphasised that even in frontline conditions, communities need to plan land use and establish clear rules for investors.

‘For a community to develop, it has to know exactly what resources it has at its disposal – primarily land. Where industry can be located, where housing can be built, where future roads will run, and what the restrictions are. And, of course, environmental issues and the preservation of the cultural and historical value of the land on which these facilities are situated are very important. A comprehensive plan is what provides this understanding,’ he noted.

He also pointed out that having such a document boosts the trust of residents. People who remain in the community or choose to live there need to understand that there is a strategy for development and security in place. At present, the community has attracted over USD 5 million in investment for restoration and infrastructure – two underground schools and a nursery have already been built, and work has begun on creating pharmaceutical production and logistics facilities. According to Chernobai, this was one of the factors that enabled the community to retain its population and host more than 10,000 internally displaced persons.

Economic impact: investment, business, and budget revenue

Oleh Chernobai explains that Pisochyn community has succeeded in significantly simplifying the licensing procedures for businesses, particularly the process of changing the designated use of land plots, which used to take years. Once the comprehensive plan was approved and entered into the urban planning and land registries, these processes became much faster. If the company's activities correspond to the functional purpose of the territory as defined by the plan, the change of land use occurs automatically; the only requirement is a statement from the landowner, without the need for lengthy approvals or additional costly procedures. This significantly simplifies regulation, reduces business costs, and accelerates the implementation of investments.

Separately, Mayor of Pisochyn highlighted the investment aspect: despite the war and its location near Kharkiv, the community is gradually attracting new investors. Some of them have already moved on to the design phase following the change in land use, which allows for development processes to be launched much faster than before.

Besides, even amidst the war, the community has managed to meet and even partially exceed its budget targets. One of the factors behind this has been the regulation of land relations: during the development of the comprehensive plan, a land audit was conducted, discrepancies in land use were identified, and steps were taken to rectify them. This has already resulted in an increase in the budget of over UAH 3 million.

In Rohan community, an increase in budget revenues has also been noted. Mariia Chernenko added that work on the comprehensive plan had enabled a systematic review of the land structure for the first time and the identification of resources that had previously not been used effectively. This has led to a gradual increase in the share of land revenue in the budget – from around 5% to 8%, with plans for further growth to 10%.

She emphasised that despite the difficulties of the transition phase, the community can already see positive changes in the regulation of land relations and the formation of a more stable financial foundation for development.

Examples from communities in Kharkiv region clearly demonstrate that comprehensive spatial development plans lead to real economic results. However, Ivan Slobodianyk, Executive Director of the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities, stressed that there are small and remote rural communities which lack sufficient financial resources to develop such plans and require assistance.

‘We need practical ways to make the development of comprehensive plans more affordable, and we have to look for them in modern technologies. Only by striking a balance between the need for planning and its practical accessibility can we ensure the strategic development of every community,’ concluded Ivan Slobodianyk.