Semi-peripheral location and historical context of Warsaw, Brno, Bucharest and Kyiv have created the situation where the shape of common space is subject to constant change, never reaching its target form. Development of major Central and Eastern European cities is based on the need of dynamic adaptation, often ahead of the long-term strategic planning. Raising the issues of poly-centricity, ownership, collaboration and rebuilding, the exhibition presents the documentation of site visits, interviews with local experts, spatial data and summary of planning documents. Various perspectives including municipal administration, NGOs, researchers and inhabitants depict a diverse context of the four cities. Comparing four locations offers an opportunity to confront the similarities and different trajectories in coping with the common space struggles and housing policies in the region after 1989.

The exhibition has been already shown in Kyiv (Homes for Tomorrow CANactions Festival) and Warsaw during autumn 2021. 24 February 2022 has completely changed our reality. The main architectural task after the Russian invasion will be the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities, including provision of fair housing and renewal of public spaces. As an appendix to the exhibition, we asked Ukrainian architects, academics, activists and investors about the current initiatives and the challenges of the post-2022 rebuilding.

Organizer: National Institute of Architecture and Urbanism
Academic curator: Bolesław Stelmach
Curatorial team: Zuzanna Mielczarek, Kacper Kępiński
Production: Weronika Sołtysiak
Communications: Dominik Witaszczyk, Joanna Krupa
Graphic design: Victor Hardziuk
Design cooperation:
Mania Bień – set design
Dagna Dembiecka – 3D models
Robert Godlewski (Solideco) – production and editing
Translation and editing: Klementyna Dec
Production of 3D models: Wolf3D
Photographs: Eva Drbalová (Brno), Kuba Rodziewicz (Warsaw), Sasha Stavnichuk (Kyiv), Cristi Staicu, Kacper Kępiński, Zuzanna Mielczarek (Bucharest),
Video recordings: Cristi Staicu (Bucharest), Jiří Choutka (Brno), Michal Sierakowski (Kyiv), Adrian Szadowiak (Warsaw)
Video editing: Adrian Szadowiak (Shadow Media Group)
Local experts: Radek Toman, Bara Srpkova, Jiří Maly (Brno), Monika Konrad, Marlena Happach, Joanna Erbel, Łukasz Drozda, Michał Oman (Warsaw), Emil Ivănescu, Stefan Gheciulescu, Anca-Maria Pasarin, Maria Duda, Alexandru Belenyi (Bucharest), Oleksandr Animisov, Anastasiya Ponomaryova (Kyiv)
Partners: the Polish Institute in Kiev, Autoportret. A magazine about good space, CANactions Festival

Project implemented as part of the Culture Inspiring program financed by the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sports.