Institute of Successful City NGO has developed an online map that shows public spaces. A total of 160 sites in 40 Ukraine’s towns/cities has already been marked on the map. The project’s goal is to disseminate information on existing communication platforms in order to develop civic activism and help gain publicity for public spaces. “People are not aware of the existence of public spaces – not only in Ukraine but even in their own towns/cities,” said Oleksandra Yarlikova, Project Manager with Institute of Successful City NGO, in a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
The platform is an interactive online map showing coworking spaces, civic initiative platforms (talent boutiques and art spaces), green public spaces, as well as modern libraries and museums. On the website, one can find detailed information about a site, as well as leave a comment or ask a question.
The online map shows public spaces located not only in Kyiv but also in Mariupol, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Lutsk, Ternopil, etc. “With our project, we are defying the stereotype that such places exist only in large cities. Over the past three years, a lot of initiatives and activists have started to work in the regions,” said Anastasiya Rudenko, Head of Institute of Successful City.
In the future, developers plan to add a new functionality to the website that would enable users to report bottlenecks in their towns/cities, where a public space could be created down the line. Also, the development of filters that would make the online map more user-friendly is underway now, which would enable search for specific types of public spaces.
