Why is the approach to territories as functional systems fundamental to modern regional policy and the successful recovery of Ukraine?
The II International Forum of Agglomerations of Ukraine in Lviv became a platform where the key vision of the development of agglomerations and functional territories was presented in accordance with the European standards of the Council of Europe.
In his presentation, Council of Europe consultant Myroslav Koshelyuk outlined why the approach to territories as functional systems is fundamental to modern regional policy and the successful recovery of Ukraine.
Functional territories are spaces that operate as single socio-economic systems, regardless of administrative borders. This is how modern cities, agglomerations and metropolitan regions in Europe work: they are united by the labor market, mobility, infrastructure, business connections and access to services. EU countries and Switzerland have long based their development strategies on these real connections, and not just on formal borders.
The presentation shows that metropolises are the centers of economic and cultural life of the continent, “hubs” of innovation and development. European practice proves that when cities and surrounding communities work together, they grow faster, use resources more efficiently and provide better services for residents.
The progress achieved by Ukraine in 2024–2025 was separately summarized. For the first time, the form of intermunicipal cooperation “agglomeration” appeared in the legislation, the state declared its intention to implement the concept of “functional territories” in the meaning adopted by the EU, and a number of regions have already integrated the development of agglomerations into their strategies. The Lviv Agglomeration, as emphasized by Myroslav Koshelyuk, demonstrates the most systemic progress — including the discussion of a possible legal experiment at the national level.
All these steps lay the foundation for the implementation of modern instruments, in particular Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI), which is a key mechanism for regional development in the EU. Ukraine faces a unique opportunity to use European standards of metropolitan governance as a basis for post-war reconstruction, economic growth and future European integration.
You can view the presentation here.
