Rebuilding work is under way in Ukraine in spite the ongoing war.

Reconstruction is not limited to doing building work. First of all, it is a well-thought and systemic planning that lays the groundwork for safe and balanced development of communities.

The Interstate Consultants Engineers Guild (ICEG) is learning the global experience that confirms that effective construction is only possible with a clear and coordinated urban-planning documentation.

The international practice shows that construction works efficiently only where a systemic planning is. The following examples demonstrate how different countries introduce such approaches.

Poland: starting from July 2026, building conditions decisions (WZ — warunki zabudowy) will only be issued for areas covered by town master plans. Approval od development will be impossible unless there is a master plan. They are also introducing new requirements for publishing the housing prices, daily reports of developers, and making shelters in new houses.

Slovakia: since April 2025, a reform has been underway that consolidates urban-planning and building procedures and provides for process digitalization. Yet, transition to new rules is accompanies by risks due to shortage of administrative resources and available infrastructure.

Czech Republic: the construction industry keeps growing, the number of construction licenses is increasing. Efficacy of new projects is ensured by a systemic planning and up-to-date urban-planning documents, which allows building residential and social facilities.

Hungary: similar changes included modernization of permits, higher requirements for technical standards, and electronic submission of documents, which transforms the procedure of obtaining the licenses.

These examples underline that only a transparent and predictable planning system allows preventing chaotic development, mitigating risks, and earning trust of investors and partners.

That is why ICEG emphasizes that in Ukraine, construction must be carried out solely on the basis of approved master plans, detailed areal plans, and other urban-planning documentation.

To recap, Oleksandr Nepomnyashchyy, ICEG President, explained in detail on the Decentralization portal why quality urban-planning documentation is a foundation of reconstruction. The material stresses that reconstruction is not just about building but primarily quality planning, coordinated processes, and professional expertise.