Summary

Kharkiv is the administrative capital of Kharkiv Oblast and the second largest city in Ukraine, with a population of 1.451 million people (2014). Kharkiv is a center of excellence for educational and scientific advancement. Located approximately 40 kilometers from the Russian border, Kharkiv continues to be influenced by its proximity to Russia and has a large ethnic Russian minority population, although the majority of its population is Ukrainian. Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine served as the context through which 2C Kharkiv examined human geography data as it relates to vulnerable populations.

The 2C Kharkiv project focused on the development of geospatial data related to safety and accessibility. Data was created with a focus on vulnerable populations, including the elderly, people with disabilities, gender-based vulnerabilities, and internally-displaced persons. The project organized a series of workshops that utilized open source tools and the Esri ArcGIS Online platform for data creation, dissemination, and analysis.

Goals

The project built partnerships with local universities, government, NGOs, and the private sector to create geospatial data for Kharkiv.

• • The project strengthened collaboration both between Kharkiv universities and within the municipality.
• • Data generated on vulnerable populations provides the basis for enhancing city response to community needs.
• • Improved communication between project partners led to new geospatial projects based upon the identification of data gaps and community needs.

Data

The Kharkiv Secondary City (2C) project developed geospatial data for local emergency preparedness. Data was created with a focus on vulnerable populations, including the elderly, people with disabilities, gender-based vulnerabilities, and internally-displaced persons.

Project Status

2C Kharkiv partners continue to conduct research using data created through the 2C Initiative. Of particular note was the generation of a geospatial data layer of urban springs that provide an informal water supply in times of need.

Lead Partner

• Association of American Geographers

Supporting Partners

• Esri
• MapBox
• Kharkiv City Government & Information Center
• V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
• Kharkiv University of Urban Economics
• Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics
• National University of Civil Protection of Ukraine
• Kharkiv National Aerospace University

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