Possibilities and prospects for the recovery and sustainable development of the urbanised areas of east Ukraine

The aim of the study is to comprehensively investigate the urgent problem of the future restoration of urbanised areas in eastern Ukraine - to analyse the perspectives and possibilities of restoring the territories after large-scale destruction caused by the war, and to change the post-war functional purpose of the regions. The war has caused dramatic socio-demographic and economic consequences, changed the urban-planning parameters of regional formations, destroyed single-industry settlements, and raised questions about their recovery. The uncertainty in the initial conditions for reconstructing destroyed cities will require decisions to meet the population's needs. Human potential and the demographic situation are important factors in the recovery process – motivating people to return will require creating favourable living conditions, including the reconstruction of housing, the restoration of social infrastructure, and the development of economic activity. At the level of regional planning, for urbanised areas, functional changes will require corresponding changes in form – optimisation of the settlement system, taking into account population decline and infrastructure degradation, and development of infrastructure to protect the population.