The western Ukrainian city of Lviv had already been undergoing a transformation process for several years to modernize its infrastructure and advance urban development when the Russian invasion began in February 2022. Now, urban planning had to be completely rethought: Within a short period of time, the metropolis became an important hub for hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons. For many, Lviv became a transit point on the way to the western borders, while others chose to stay. Faced with these immense challenges, the city continues to attempt to mitigate the immediate effects of the war while simultaneously developing resilient structures.
 

The foundational volume, City in Transition: Urban Dialogues on the Future of Lviv, was created as a result of the now 30-year-old academic cooperation program between the Faculties of Architecture of the Lviv National Polytechnic University and the Vienna University of Technology. The city had already promoted this dialogue between research and practice in a local and international context before the outbreak of the war. Two major chapters present practical and academic proposals and implementations, both before and after the outbreak of the war. Thus, the publication not only illustrates projects developed in peacetime, but also how Lviv responded to the architectural and urban challenges of the ongoing conflict, for example, by building medical facilities, modern rehabilitation centers, or planning new housing.

Contributions by editors Andreas Hofer, Anastasia Hujvan, and Bohdan Cherkes, as well as interviews with Lviv's mayor, the city's chief architect, and his predecessor in office, provide a vivid picture of the urban transformation process and its adaptations in the face of an unforeseen crisis. Thus, the English-language publication provides valuable insights for urban planners, architects, city managers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and the general public.

 

This volume is part of the Histories of Ukrainian Architecture program, which DOM publishers initiated in response to the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022. The series includes titles with current and historical topics on architecture, urban design, planning methods, and portraits of architects.

The third Lviv Urban Forum took place in Lviv from June 11 to 13, 2025: How can continuity in the realization of long-term goals such as sustainability and resilience be maintained and reconciled with short-term responses to crises and disruptions? Further information can be found at: » Lviv Urban Forum.
 

The foundational volume, City in Transition: Urban Dialogues on the Future of Lviv, was created as a result of the now 30-year academic cooperation program between the Faculties of Architecture of the Lviv National Polytechnic University and the Vienna University of Technology. It presents projects developed in peacetime as well as Lviv's response to the architectural and urban challenges of the ongoing conflict.

 

It is in this context that the third Lviv Urban Forum took place in Lviv: How can continuity in the realization of long-term goals such as sustainability and resilience be maintained and reconciled with short-term responses to crises and disruptions?

Key speakers were included:
Miroslav Šik ("Analog Old-New Architecture")
Johannes Tovatt (Seestadt Aspern, Vienna)
Isabell Klunker (Max Dudler Architects)
Philippe Samyn (Europa Building, Brussels)
Catherine Gall (Sorbonne, "15-Minute City")

City in Transition
Urban Dialogues of the Future of Lviv
Andreas Hofer, Anastasia Hujvan, Bohdan Cherkes
210 × 230 mm, 224 pages
700 illustrations, softcover
ISBN 978-3-86922-936-2 (English)
June 2025. DOM publishers, Berlin