Transforming Brownfields: Urban Renewal in Ukrainian Cities

In Ukrainian research, the term “brownfield” emerged relatively recently, about 10–15 years ago. However, brownfields in the urban spaces of Ukrainian cities began to appear massively from the late 1980s, stemming from the economic problems of the Soviet Union and its subsequent dissolution. Today, several generations of brownfield transformation have evolved, starting in different sequential periods. Yet, even today, in certain cities, brownfields located adjacent to each other may (not) regenerate using different models, correlating with different generations of their transformation. Thus, it’s not a linear process of changing approaches but rather a gradual diversification. The Russian war in Ukraine significantly increased the number and spatial scale of brownfields, as well as their concentration. In addition to all existing problems, there are war-driven challenges of destruction of industrial urban spaces and relocation of industrial facilities. The aim of this study is to attempt to identify the key characteristics of four generations of brownfield transformation in Ukrainian cities. To achieve this, various brownfield regeneration projects across the country were analyzed. The authors conducted both thematic analysis and observations of such spaces in cities.