The NGO Vision Zero has launched a new project with the Konotop City Council to restore and develop electric transport and climate-friendly and accessible transport infrastructure. The project focuses on preparing for the reconstruction of the city based on the principles of sustainable urban mobility and climate resilience and modernising the tram system. 

The project, titled "Climate Neutral and Accessible Transport Infrastructure in Konotop", consists of two components: a new look for Pryvokzalna Square and a strategy for modernising the tram system. The overall goal of the project is to help Konotop be ready to apply for post-war reconstruction grants funded by international technical assistance and confiscated assets of the aggressor state.

As for the Railway Station Square, its visual and functional design will be based on the best practices of planning similar facilities in the EU and Ukraine. Overall goal: In the future, Pryvokzalna Square should become a comfortable and accessible public space and a convenient transport hub.

On 29 November 2024, the NGO team made a working visit to Konotop, where they conducted a survey of the city's infrastructure and a workshop with active community members. The workshop revealed that the square currently serves as a parking lot and is an unattractive place.

‘Citizens want to see the square as a meeting place, a centre of business activity, a convenient location for spending time with children, accessible to people with limited mobility, and easy to navigate for city guests,’ comments Kateryna Lozenko, project coordinator.

Workshop with concerned representatives of the Konotop community at the Konotop City Council. Photo: NGO "Vision Zero"

The second area of the project is the development of a strategy for the modernisation and development of the Konotop tram network. This document will be based on an analysis of the urban planning environment, the current state of infrastructure, and strategic documents of the city, and will be jointly developed by local authorities, the carrier's team, and involved experts. 

The project results are expected to help Konotop City Council attract international funding and lay the groundwork for sustainable development in the post-war reconstruction. The cooperation with the city is not only intended to help Konotop, but also to set an example of post-war recovery planning around electric transport, which could serve as a model for Ukrainian cities that also have outdated tram and trolleybus systems.

Konotop Transport Administration. Photo: NGO “Vision Zero”

Konotop is located in Sumy region in the northeastern part of Ukraine. As of 2021, the population was around 94,000, but due to Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, it has dropped to around 68,000. In February and March 2022, the city was subjected to military invasion, with occupation troops and heavy equipment present on the streets. The city was surrounded by Russian troops, but control over the city was not lost. Residents and community leaders resisted the occupation through protests and physical resistance, setting fire to Russian equipment.

Konotop's tram network was planned and built by the townspeople using the ‘people's construction’ method after the Second World War as an ambitious local recovery and development project. As of 2022, the network has a total length of 28 km with three routes. The network covers most of the city, creating a strategic opportunity to make the tram system the core of the community's future climate-friendly mobility system. The municipality is committed to the preservation and development of the tram and in 2022-2023 received more than 30 units of rolling stock from the Czech Republic and Poland.

The project is being implemented in cooperation with Konotop City Council as part of a grant from The European Climate Foundation (ECF) in 2024-2025.