How public spaces affect the psycho-emotional state of people
The Community Recovery Academy hosted a lecture on "Public Space as a Comfort Zone. The Role of Public Spaces in Psycho-Emotional Rehabilitation" by Pavlo Bilyk, an architect and urbanist, lecturer at the Kyiv School of Economics, and Master of the Paris School of Urbanism. He has extensive experience in designing public spaces and applying participatory approaches, which helps him to view urban space not only from an architectural but also from a social perspective.
During the lecture, the participants learned how the environment around us affects our mental health, as well as what architectural and aesthetic solutions help create comfortable and safe urban spaces. Mr. Pavlo explained that public space is not only a physical territory, but also an important element of social interaction and psycho-emotional support.
Particular attention was paid to the role of public spaces in the rehabilitation of people who have survived crisis situations. The lecturer spoke about the international experience of creating inclusive and accessible urban locations that help restore emotional balance and integration of different groups of people. He emphasized that well-designed public spaces can reduce stress, promote social cohesion, and even improve the economic development of communities.
The participants of the lecture actively discussed what principles should be taken into account when creating an urban environment that will contribute to the well-being of residents. Mr. Pavlo shared practical cases and tools that can be applied in Ukrainian realities to make public spaces more adaptive to the needs of society.
In general, the lecture was extremely useful for future municipal managers, as it allowed them to better understand the importance of spatial planning for the social and psychological resilience of communities. Participants gained valuable knowledge and practical recommendations that will help them in their work to create a comfortable urban environment.
At the end of the lecture, Pavlo Bilyk suggested that the students do their homework: analyze their communities and determine which public spaces need to be changed to improve their functionality and accessibility.
Community Recovery Academy, founded by the Association of Ukrainian Cities and NGO Mariupol Reborn, aims to train municipal managers for the recovery period. The project is being implemented with the support of the UK Government under the UK International Development program and the International Republican Institute - IRI Ukraine in partnership with Metinvest and SCM. The educational partners of the project are Metinvest Polytechnic and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
