Colville-Andersen in Ukraine

  • Mikael Colville-Andersen holding a bicycle overhead inside a spacious, industrial-style room with brick walls and a wooden floor, surrounded by many other bicycles parked in rows. Bikes4Ukraine.org

    Bikes4Ukraine.org

    Bikes4Ukraine.org - my Danish non-profit - is the reason I first came to Ukraine in June 2022. We source used bikes in Europe and deliver them our growing network of NGOs in Ukraine. We have delivered 1300 bikes so far and they are in use in over 35 cities and towns to deliver food, water, humanitarian aid and medicine to the most vulnerable citizens in the most devasted areas.

    So many more bikes are needed. More on the official website and here is our crowdfunding website.

  • People walking and sitting in a colorful urban plaza with a Ferris wheel and historic buildings in the background. TORV Kyiv, Kontraktova Square. Designed by Mikael Colville-Andersen

    TORV Kyiv

    TORV Kyiv is the world’s largest tactical urbanism project—built in the heart of Kyiv during a full-scale war. Over 11,000 m² of dead asphalt transformed into a vibrant public space with benches, trees, art, play, and shade. No public money. Just urgency, design, and over 1,000 volunteers. It’s not just a square—it’s a prototype for a better city.

    Read more here

  • A large group of people gathered outdoors, holding a Ukrainian flag, surrounded by trees and greenery, with a small planted tree in front of them.

    Podil Urban Farm - Поділ сад-город

    Hope takes root in the ruins.

    In the heart of Kyiv’s historic Podil district, on a forgotten plot left vacant since the Soviets demolished a building in 1985, something extraordinary is growing: a community garden for local citizens.

    Podil Urban Farm opened in Spring 2025.

    READ MORE HERE

  • Entrance to Nordic Therapy Garden, designed by Mikael Colville-Andersen, surrounded by trees and shaded path.

    The First Nordic Therapy Garden in Ukraine

    READ MORE HERE

    Together with 1000 volunteers and generous sponsors I designed and built the first Nordic Therapy Garden to heal mental trauma and PTSD in Ukraine. Using Evidenoe-Based Health Design in Landscape Architecture and Nature-based Healing, the garden opened in June 2024..

  • Cover of a bicycle strategy plan for Mykolaiv with a background photo of people riding bicycles on a city street during sunset, with trees and buildings in the background, and text indicating this is the third draft of the plan.

    Cycling Strategy for Mykolaiv

    With Coolville Design Lab, we finished the Cycling Strategy for the City of Mykolaiv in Sept 2023, after being asked by the Mayor to use the opportunity the war presents to initiate positive urban change.

    A long journey but now we are ready to implement the infrastructure and start the ball rolling.

  • Book cover with illustrations of people, text in Ukrainian, and colorful abstract shapes.

    Book: 45 Urban Ideas for Ukraine

    The first book about post-war reconstruction in Europe in the 21st Century is a collaboration with 31 experts in urbanism and architecture - designed to inspire Ukrainian cities and towns to make the right choices as they redesign, rethink and rebuild.

    Out in October 2023. Link to the Ukrainian website.

  • People assembling a purple and beige wooden structure outdoors on a city sidewalk, with buildings and a street in the background.

    Temporary Urbanism

    The art of temporary urbanism is relatively unknown in Ukraine so sometimes you do things because you can - and because you simply can’t stop yourself. Fixing a parklet, building outdoor ping pong tables, printing CNC furniture for public spaces, you name it. Keeping busy. Making things better.

  • Mikael Colville-Andersen in Paris

    The Life-Sized City Screenings

    My global tv series about urbanism The Life-Sized City is shown in over 30 countries but not Ukraine so I have regular screenings of the episodes from the four seasons at Kino 42 in Podil.

    THE LIFE-SIZED CITY

  • Children and adults participating in an indoor art activity at a daytime workshop or class, with some people working on paper and others standing or sitting at tables.

    Kids Urbanism Workshops

    Having worked with kids in urbanism workshops around the world, it is great to bring the workshops to Ukraine. Starting with a weekend event with local kids in the Podil neighbourhood and moving on to school classes of 9-10 year olds. Tapping into their logical brilliance and encouraging them to redesign the streets of their city for the better.

  • A wooden bench with a modern design in an outdoor urban setting, with a large, metallic sculpture resembling an abstracted airplane propeller in the foreground. There are buildings, trees, and a person in camouflage pants working in the background.

    Design Collaborations

    The vibe in Ukraine is driven by positive change and opportunity. I collaborate with many cultural stakeholders and curate projects that have a strong cross-cultural reach in order to promote Ukrainian designers and artists in Europe and beyond.

  • A digital illustration of a modern, single-story house with a flat roof, white exterior walls, and multiple windows and sliding doors, surrounded by a paved yard and leafless trees.

    A New Typology of Homes

    With so many homes destroyed by Russian aggression, I am exploring a new typology of home that is cheap, fast to build and permanent, using both sustainable and traditional architecture. A model that can be easily implemented across the country.

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