In the 1970s, 130 ha of land were reclaimed from the Buh River estuary in the western part of the city of Mykolaiv, Ukraine. The name of the emerged micro district development reflects its origin: Namyv (Reclaimed Land – transl.) The peninsula development started in the 1980s as a classic micro district typology: a conglomerate of unstructured chaotic spaces without a clear urban grid. Moreover, the micro district is cut from the rest of the city with an industrial railway and it has only one transportation connection, which is jammed during the rush hour.
The major assets of the existing district are its untouched natural resources: a sand spit over 1 km long and the waterfront with panoramic views of the river and its undeveloped western bank.
The city’s master plan reveals that the current challenges are not to be resolved. Naturally, the major goal of the project has become to integrate the area into the existing context, so that its current and future residents could have a place fostering a pro-active lifestyle, and to trigger the whole district development.
Having analysed several development options, we have selected one, which meets the major requirements, providing the most effective street grid, courtyards, opening towards the water, a vast pedestrian space connecting the city and the waterfront, and the best insolation indices.
Our final solution includes:
+closed or semi-closed courtyards without cars, some of which with a view of the estuary
+green pedestrian space and a public square without cars, and also a newly shaped embankment, which will give the whole city the best possible access to the water
+public development with various functions (offices, commercial and cultural spaces, sports and recreation facilities, etc.), which provide all the residents with an access to all the required services right in the micro district.
After testing various street and courtyard profiles, we have decided on minimum traffic roads, multiple green pedestrian zones along the in-built services, and bike lanes.
