The World Bank’s Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC) will host a Technical Deep Dive (TDD) on “Integrated Urban Recovery and Transformation” from April 6 to 10, 2026, in Hiroshima and Tokyo. The program will bring together national and local government officials and practitioners from Ukraine, along with World Bank specialists and Japanese partners.
Russia’s invasion has inflicted severe damage on Ukraine’s cities, with substantial recovery and reconstruction needs, particularly in the housing, transport, and energy sectors. Local governments (hromadas), which are at the forefront of recovery efforts, face significant financial and capacity constraints while being required to restore essential services and plan for future urban development. In urban areas, these challenges are further intensified by infrastructure damage and the continued influx of internally displaced persons, making integrated recovery approaches and strategic investment prioritization critical.
While the Government of Ukraine has been advancing decentralization reforms and strengthening public investment management, significant institutional and capacity challenges remain. This TDD will draw on Japan’s experience and global knowledge to share practical approaches for integrated urban recovery and transformation, guided by the principle of building back better. In particular, participants will gain insights from Hiroshima’s post-war reconstruction and its transition toward sustainable urban development.
The program will combine lectures, workshops, site visits, and peer-to-peer exchanges, and will cover the following key themes:
Vision-led strategic planning and investment prioritization
Strengthening land management, property rights, and public investment management
Building trust for financing through transparency and accountability
Enhancing citizen engagement and public-private collaboration
Improving housing recovery and urban services
Through this five-day program, participants will be supported in developing concrete visions and action plans for urban recovery and transformation in their respective contexts.
On the final day, April 10, a public forum titled “Pathway for Strengthening Ukraine’s Urban Reconstruction Efforts” will be held in Tokyo. The forum will provide a platform to share perspectives from both national and local governments in Ukraine, highlight support from Japan, the World Bank, and other international partners, and foster dialogue to strengthen collaboration and accelerate urban reconstruction efforts.