Kyiv 2040: The Capital’s Development in the Next 20 Years

What will the capital of Ukraine be like in 2040? The population will almost be 4 million people, there will be five subway lines, new modern residential compounds and copious green areas. At least, such a vector of development for Kyiv was chosen in the new city master plan for the next 20 years. hromadske was at the presentation and briefly outlines what major changes Kyivans can expect.

The City of Millions

In 20 years, the capital should become even bigger: Kyiv's population will grow to 3.8 million, which, together with suburban territories, will exceed 5 million. In addition, more than 700,000 new jobs will be created. Demand should increase mainly for IT, law, finance, marketing and scientists. Administrative and support services such as rentals, travel agencies and security will also grow.

In the metropolis, the focus will also be on the development of the agglomeration – Kyiv and suburban areas, which cover 10 administrative districts, Irpin and 8 towns of regional importance. In 20 years, the plan is to build infrastructure so that the city center can be reached by transport in an average of 40 minutes.

Public Transport

The long-overdue “Troyeshchyna subway” may still appear. At least, it was included in the master plan: the promise is to build the fourth Podilsko-Vyhurivska, as well as a fifth subway line. New stations should be well-connected with other modes of transport. For example, there are plans to create interchanges between the subway and the high-speed tram.

New Bridges and Roads

The congestion on the roads will be eliminated through new interchanges, tiered parking lots and the development of bicycle infrastructure. There are also promises to make more dedicated lanes for public transport.

The master plan also outlines three new bridges across the Dnipro River. The City Council also plans to build a large ring road and create additional exits from the city. Another airport should be constructed in the future too.

Kyiv’s budget alone will not cover such active construction. Therefore, the City Council will receive state funding, and also look to work with international investors.

Parks and Comfortable Living Areas

Most of the new parks are planned to be built on the outskirts of the city. On top of that, the City Council wants to solve some environmental problems. For example, many residents of the capital live within sanitary zones of businesses. To resolve this issue, businesses will be offered to move production outside the city and the industrial areas will be reshaped.

The areas of abandoned industrial sites are already being built up by investors who are constructing modern residential compounds there. In the future, the city authorities want to resolve the issue of "Khrushchivkas" (a type of low-cost, concrete-paneled or brick three- to five-storied apartment buildings which were developed in the Soviet Union during the early 1960s under Nikita Khrushchev -ed.). They may either be renovated or rebuilt into multi-story buildings – the occupants will be temporarily evicted, and subsequently provided with apartments in the new buildings.

All in all, nearly 30 million square meters of new housing should be made available by 2040. The City Council will also require developers to create appropriate social infrastructure: kindergartens, schools and hospitals near the apartment blocks.

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