"Vlasne Misto, a city for everyone"

Vlasne Misto is the first project in Ukraine for an autonomous city with a population of 47,000 people and an area of 600 hectares. The construction site is located 7 km from Kyiv, and features a unique eco-space, with three lakes and 750 hectares of forest. Focused on the “human centricity principle”, Vlasne Misto proposes comfortable housing surrounded by nature and aims to create a synergy among all spheres of life, including work, business, leisure, development, and recreation.

THE PLAN spoke with Yaroslav Korniachenko, CEO of Vlasne Misto, the company behind this innovative project for a cluster town in the Kyiv region.

Interview with Yaroslav Korniachenko, CEO of Vlasne Misto

Can you please tell us about your personal and entrepreneurial journey?

My professional journey began in 2006 during my university studies, where I earned a degree in Land Management, Cartography, and Cadastre. My first job involved creating cartographic and geodetic materials, as well as conducting geodetic surveys in settlements across Ukraine. It was then that I gained my first in-depth understanding of urban planning in settlements from the Soviet era, along with engineering and transport networks. During my studies, I developed a strong interest in urban planning regulations, land law, and urban design calculations. After graduating, I quickly founded my own company and began working in the fields of land cadastre and the development of urban planning documents at various levels, from detailed plans to general plans for settlements.

From 2011 to 2013, I focused on growing my company in Crimea, where I started working on a major urban project spanning over 700 hectares in Sevastopol. The project aimed to create energy and food security for the region, integrating agro-industrial enterprises, craft production, and areas for both temporary and permanent residents. Despite my extensive experience in planning residential quarters for various construction companies, my goal was always to create new, autonomous, sustainable cities. In Crimea, I also participated in the design of a project for the reclamation of quarries for iron ore extraction into residential quarters — a project that won several prestigious awards.

After the annexation of Crimea, I returned to Kyiv and began a new phase focused on implementing innovative projects and finding a location for a sustainable city. In 2014, I earned a second degree in Economics and Enterprise Management, which helped me fully realize that creating an economically sustainable city is not just about architecture. It also requires developing an economic strategy, environmental programs, and energy solutions. Social functions and services for residents then became a logical extension of this approach.

In 2016, I began working on creating a 600-hectare land plot for more than 47,000 future residents, continuing to purchase land to this day. This became a crucial step in implementing the "Vlasne Misto" project. The project’s name symbolizes the idea of "a city for everyone" — the word "Vlasne" in Ukrainian translates to "own", allowing every resident to say: "Vlasne Misto — it’s my own town". The conceptual and urban planning document development commenced in 2020 and continues to progress, with work continuing on technical assignments for designing residential quarters, infrastructure, educational institutions, and hospitality facilities.

How can sustainability and ESG criteria be a driver in regeneration operations?

Our concept for a new urban project in Ukraine is built upon clear criteria for sustainability, ecology, and social orientation. The economic strategy at the core of the master plan includes several key ecological programs: “Vlasne Water” — a program for water reuse and resource management; “City without Waste” — an initiative to reduce, recycle, and manage waste; “Energy Independence” — creating an energy-independent city; “Net Zero Roud” — a strategy to achieve carbon neutrality in the city’s transportation infrastructure.

These programs are designed to reduce future operational costs for city maintenance, improve residents' emotional well-being, promote public health, and reduce urban temperatures. Additionally, they contribute to controlled local evaporation and the restoration of underground water reserves, and to the development of natural biomes, which helps maintain ecological balance.

Adaptability to Climate Change
These strategies, which include restoring natural processes and improving local drainage, ensure the city's adaptability to future climate challenges. This approach will not only increase demand for sustainable development among residents but also shift their awareness toward a more sustainable future for the city.

Energy Independence and Innovation
Energy independence and ecological programs are also integral to the city's educational initiatives. The waste sorting system will enable the city to produce biogas, covering some of its energy needs. Furthermore, the cluster economy will foster strong cooperation between business and science — from schools to universities — creating innovative platforms for advancements in sustainable urban planning and energy efficiency.

Green Infrastructure and Social Initiatives
The city will feature 165 hectares of green spaces, parks, and squares, including rain gardens and artificial reservoirs designed for water reuse and natural filtration. These green spaces will not only improve air quality but also protect residents from the negative impacts of climate change. As Kyiv increasingly ranks among cities with poor air quality, these initiatives are of particular importance.

Educational and Medical Initiatives
The project also includes the development of a university that will serve as the foundation for the creation of new professions and innovations. Additionally, a medical town will provide quality healthcare services to 100,000 patients annually. The medical complex will house a rehabilitation center and a specialized facility for elderly people called “Silver Age”.

Economic Self-Sufficiency and Food Security
To ensure the city’s economic self-sufficiency, 21,500 jobs will be created. Food security will be supported by a greenhouse economy and an agricultural cluster that will produce 6,000 tons of vegetables and fruits annually. These initiatives will also help absorb 15,000 tons of CO₂ each year.

Social Equality and Innovation Development
The city will be a model of social equality, ecological adaptability, and energy efficiency, while fostering innovation. The community will play an active role in all aspects of city life, including shaping its future.

What are the examples of urban regeneration and masterplanning that were the inspiration for the genesis of Vlasne Misto?

I have always closely followed the projects of the architectural firm Snøhetta, as well as the urban planning of Copenhagen and Oslo. However, the most influential projects for me are those like the Wilanów district in Warsaw, which began development in 2000 under the guidance of the remarkable architect Guy Perry. This large-scale project spans 450 hectares and is designed to accommodate 70,000 residents.

Another significant reference is the city of Almere in the Netherlands — a city that, like ours, was created from scratch and gained the city status in 1984. Today, Almere is a home to over 180,000 people.

What are the goals of Vlasne Misto? 

The main goals of the “Vlasne Misto” project are focused on creating an environmentally clean, autonomous city that meets social, economic, and ecological needs. The city design is human-centered, promoting maximum mobility without cars, with all key amenities located within a 10-minute walk. The city center will feature a market square with shopping and leisure areas, as well as a 42-meter vertical greenhouse.

All buildings are designed to be low-carbon and energy-efficient. A network of recreational spaces ensures a balanced urban environment that focuses on community and improves residents' quality of life. The use of sustainable materials, such as stone and thermowood, along with green, operated rooftops, highlights the energy efficiency of the city’s architecture.

Our goal is energy independence, and we are implementing smart infrastructure, an energy-efficient transport system, and innovational and educational clusters. This includes renewable energy sources, electric transportation options such as trams, electric taxis, shuttle buses, and our own electric vehicles. This creates a sustainable city model that adapts to future challenges, is innovative, and self-sufficient.

“Vlasne Misto” aims to be a model of smart urban development, promoting a high quality of life, social inclusivity, and ecological harmony.

What will be the added value of this major masterplanning operation?

The masterplan integrates four self-sufficient launch phases, ensuring the sustainable development of the city, controlled zoning, and the recruiting high-quality individuals for study clusters, while maintaining transparent competition among small and medium-sized businesses. In this way, we are shaping the city's economy right from the design stage.

Long-term strategic planning (for 20 years) is not common in Ukraine, and we are certainly the first to implement such a long-term vision. Of course, the details will evolve throughout the implementation of the project, but the masterplan already includes a pre-designed transport network, an inclusive methodology, and functional capabilities. The transport model addresses all issues related to the safe movement of various types of transport around the city, ensuring no traffic jams and car-free streets, as parking within buildings is designed with a coefficient of 1.5.

Properly designed engineering networks with a dispatch system ensure efficient service and cost optimization. A unified water supply and drainage system minimizes environmental impact and reduces the use of groundwater.

Residents will have full guarantees of service accessibility close to their homes, along with active participation in service quality control and investment projects for the city’s development. Everyone will have the right to become a co-owner of a school building or any other public or commercial facility, even an energy park.

We have many examples of chaotic urban development, not only in Ukraine but worldwide. Suburbs in the 20^th and 21^st centuries have shown that newly created cities can suffer from negative impacts, remaining uninhabited or even empty. This is why the design process took eight years, involving more than 120 experts and designers, and the detailed planning of all areas continues to ensure that all models work and will be successfully implemented.