Українська фундація розвитку
8/20/26
Ukraine House DC Foundation and the Nove Misto Initiative project team have launched the master planning phase for Nove Misto, a new city to be constructed in post-war Ukraine. CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati will lead the masterplan concept and design coordination process, working with the international project team to prepare an urban vision that could serve as a flagship recovery initiative, and as a model for future Ukrainian urban development.
Nove Misto ("new city" in Ukrainian) is a plan for a greenfield city in Ukraine, to house those who lost their homes to Russia's war of aggression. Designed for 100,000 residents, Nove Misto is conceived as a pilot for Ukraine's reconstruction and its integration with the European Union and a testing ground for the most advanced ideas in urban planning today. The project is developed by Ukrainian business leaders, with the support of international partners across government and industry.
CRA will develop the first draft of the Nove Misto masterplan and lead the cohort of international and Ukrainian architects to explore the new Ukrainian city as a human-centered, resilient, and inclusive urban environment organized around the concept of 15-minute districts. The masterplan will bring together walkable neighbourhoods, green mobility, resilient infrastructure, restorative environments for communities affected by war, and an economic base capable of supporting long-term municipal life. The project will also explore how contemporary Ukrainian identity can be expressed through architecture, landscape, infrastructure, and everyday urban experience.
A defining feature of the next design phase will be the participatory development of selected districts in dialogue with international partners, business and local communities. The intention is to build a coordinated urban framework in which different countries, architects, and institutions can contribute to Ukraine's recovery through design, technology, education, culture, and investment. CRA will help establish a common urban code for the project and coordinate contributions from other architects and design firms, translating the project's guiding principles into a spatial concept for the city, defining its main urban structure, district logic, land-use framework, mobility approach, infrastructure logic, and overall design language and allowing individual districts to reflect different cultural and design traditions while remaining part of one coherent Ukrainian post-war city vision.
"Designing a new city today means thinking beyond buildings or structures. It means working with mobility, data, energy, landscape, public space, and the everyday experience of residents. For Nove Misto, the challenge is not to design a futuristic city for its own sake, but to imagine an urban environment that is resilient, adaptable, and deeply human. The city must respond to the needs of different groups of people, including veterans, displaced communities, entrepreneurs, students, and older residents. It should become a place that helps a society affected by war heal, rebuild trust, restore dignity, and strengthen social cohesion," said Carlo Ratti, Founding Partner of CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati.
"Once peace is achieved, Ukraine will need to grow quickly. But first, it needs to rebuild what was lost, and to heal the wounds the war left on people. Nove Misto is our vision for that future: a city that is safe, innovative, comfortable, and built for business. We hope it inspires Ukrainians to come home and raise their families there, and that its European climate draws companies to invest, grow, and prosper. To build a city like that, we're proud to be working with the best architects in the world," said Oksana Markarova, Managing Founder of the Nove Misto Initiative.
"Nove Misto is not only an urban design project. It is a platform for bringing together people, ideas, institutions, and countries around Ukraine's long-term recovery. We want this city to become a place where international support is translated into practical urban solutions: schools, homes, public spaces, jobs, services, and communities that can grow together," said Viktoriya Trotska, Executive Director of the Nove Misto Initiative.
Following the launch of the masterplanning phase, the Nove Misto team and CRA will continue developing the concept, engaging potential design and business partners, and preparing the project for discussion with Ukrainian and international stakeholders.
About CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati
CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati is an international design and innovation office founded by Carlo Ratti. The studio works at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, technology, and the environment, exploring how cities can become more responsive to people, climate, infrastructure, and changing patterns of urban life.
About Ukraine House DC Foundation
Ukraine House DC Foundation is a US-based nonprofit organization that supports Ukraine through public diplomacy, cultural engagement, international partnerships, and initiatives connected to Ukraine's recovery and long-term development. The Foundation is supporting the Nove Misto Initiative as part of a broader effort to mobilize international expertise, partnerships, and public-minded support for Ukraine's reconstruction.
CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati Torino — Italy New York — USA www.carlorattiassociati.com
Nove Misto Initiative Viktoriya Trotska Executive Director, Nove Misto Initiative viktoriya.trotska@novemisto.in.ua