Urban mobility decisions should be grounded in the experience of people who move around the city every day. In Zhytomyr, as in most settlements in Ukraine, pedestrian and cyclist safety and transport accessibility for people with reduced mobility remain critical issues.

On 17 February, participants of the citizens’ assembly at an event organised by the BRIDGE project and the Zhytomyr city council officially handed over to the city council the citizens’ assembly recommendations report — a format of deliberative democracy unique to Ukraine. The document was prepared by city residents to enhance the safety and accessibility of mobility in Zhytomyr.

Last autumn, the citizens’ assembly on urban mobility took place in the city. It was organised by the Zhytomyr city council and the BRIDGE project with the participation of experts from the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) and the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin). The process engaged 64 residents selected by random sortition to represent diverse age and social groups.

Participants identified 14 recommendations to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety, increase transport accessibility for people with reduced mobility, and advance sustainable mobility. Safety and lighting received the highest level of support (up to 98%).

The public handover of the report marked the beginning of the next phase of the process. The Zhytomyr city council committed to publicly reporting back to the community in 2026 on progress in reviewing the assembly’s recommendations and on the possibilities for their implementation within municipal programmes and the city budget.