Ukrainian Cities at War

TCR Talks – Winter Semester 24/25

Urbicide and Displaced Place Attachment

By: Prof. Dr. Kostyantyn Mezentse

Date: Monday, 20 January 2025
Time: 17:00–18:30
Place: Chair and Institute for Urban Design, SG301, Wüllnerstr. 5b, 52062 Aachen

On Monday, 20 January 2025, from 17:00 to 18:30, the Chair of Urban Design and Institute for Urban Design and European Urbanism will host a lecture by Prof. Dr. Kostyantyn Mezentsev, organised within the framework of the EMBRACE research project (EMBRACE: Emergent Resilience: Mobilizing and Building Responsive and Adaptive Communities). Titled “Ukrainian Cities at War: Urbicide and Displaced Place Attachment,” the lecture will examine the devastating effects of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Europe’s largest conflict of the 21st century, on urban spaces. Prof. Mezentsev will address the concept of urbicide, the systematic destruction of the physical and symbolic fabric of cities, and its profound impacts on communities.

The lecture will explore “displaced place attachment,” a phenomenon where internally displaced persons (IDPs) recreate elements of their destroyed hometowns in temporary public spaces, fostering resilience and maintaining cultural identity. These spaces act as tools for preserving memory and will play a vital role in post-conflict urban reconstruction. Prof. Mezentsev, a leading expert in urban geopolitics and migration, and Head of the Department of Economic and Social Geography at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, will share his profound knowledge and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for rebuilding cities and communities affected by war.

TCR Talks is a public even.

Contact: Elena Batunova,  batunova@staedtebau.rwth-aachen.de