Odesa-2035 Strategy: why we are working on it today

The full-scale war in Ukraine continues, and some may ask, “Why draft strategic plans now?” The answer is global: on 10–11 July in Rome, URC2025 — the Ukraine Recovery Conference — gathered more than 4,000 government, business, and civil-society leaders from over 100 countries who confirmed their commitment to post-war reconstruction. At the same venue, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the creation of the European Flagship Fund for Ukraine — a vehicle pooling resources from the EU, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the European Investment Bank to finance municipal recovery projects.

That is why, despite daily challenges, Odesa is already shaping its City Development Strategy to 2035. DOMOVA has joined the process as an Odesa-headquartered company with deep expertise in the housing sector.

The process is steered by a team of coordinators from the Agency for Recovery and Development (AVR) and already involves more than 300 participants — representatives of business, education, science, healthcare, transport, security, utilities, as well as diplomats and foreign investors.

The financial and organisational framework is provided by UNDP Ukraine through the project “Transformational Recovery for Human Security in Ukraine,” funded by the Government of Japan. Locally, the initiative is supported by Odesa 5T Office, Civitta, and the Odesa Regional Development Agency. Community engagement and information outreach are ensured by the platforms Na Chasi and NGO ZMISTOM.

DOMOVA’s contribution

We contribute to the working groups on Housing and Communal Services (HCS) and Economy, Business, Entrepreneurship. Key HCS proposals already included in the first draft of the strategy are:

• A single standard for transferring transformer substations from developers to the municipal balance so that energy-loss costs are not borne by residents.
• A comprehensive inventory of elevators, roofs, and in-house networks with an open registry to enable transparent repair planning.
• A 90/10 co-financing model for condominium associations (OSBBs) covering capital repairs and energy-efficiency upgrades.

Why this matters now

• Window of opportunity. The Recovery Coalition presented in Rome provides direct financing mechanisms for municipal projects. The sooner Odesa presents ready-to-implement solutions, the easier it will be to attract funds.
• Public demand. Hundreds of ideas collected during the sessions show that Odesians want to co-create the city’s future rather than remain passive observers.
• Immediate start after hostilities cease. Documents, procedures, and technical briefs must be ready so that, when the war ends, we can move instantly from words to construction.

Next steps

By year-end, the working groups will align priorities and prepare a roadmap for the first projects in 2025–2027.

DOMOVA, with its head office in Odesa, is committed to ensuring the city becomes one of the first beneficiaries of the new international funds.