Chuck Bean, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) from 2012-2023, visited Lviv. MWCOG coordinates joint work in the Washington metropolitan area across transportation, environment, housing, energy, and sustainable development. His arrival marked another step in strengthening international partnership and exchanging experience between Ukrainian and US communities.
A significant part of the visit was the II International Forum of Agglomerations in Ukraine, supported by the Council of Europe, which brought together community representatives, urban planners, and international experts. Chuck Bean participated in a panel discussion dedicated to the US Metropolitan Planning Model. He presented the example of the Washington Agglomeration, which unified several cities for joint work on the transportation system, water resource management, ecological projects, and spatial planning.
During his stay, Chuck Bean also delivered a lecture at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, where he shared practices for developing Regional Councils in the USA and the principles that help communities operate as a single system. Students had the opportunity to learn about specific examples of management decisions based on partnership, analytics, and trust among cities.
While in Lviv, Chuck also visited the UNBROKEN ecosystem, where he familiarized himself with the Ukrainian approach to the recovery and rehabilitation of people affected by the war. The visit provided an opportunity for dialogue on how cities can be not only places of development but also spaces of humanity, support, and community strength.
Furthermore, during meetings with representatives of the Lviv Agglomeration, Lviv City Council, and Lviv Oblast Military Administration, areas for further cooperation were discussed, particularly in:
- Water resource management
- Climate change adaptation
- Green infrastructure development
- Education for local self-government
“I am delighted to be in Lviv. Overall, the Lviv Agglomeration demonstrates how a shared strategic vision can become a tool for development for the entire country. This is an example of how local initiatives are forming a new quality of governance at the national level,” emphasized Chuck Bean.
Chuck Bean’s visit became a symbol of the Lviv Agglomeration’s openness to international partnership. His experience showed that even the most complex challenges—from urban mobility to environmental solutions—can be overcome through the unification of communities and joint effort.
Cooperation with the Washington metropolitan area opens new opportunities for Lviv and the region—to learn, share practices, and develop local governance based on partnership, trust, and innovation.
