Porto-Franco City

On June 11, the Ukrainian government approved the allocation of 115 million UAH for Odesa. These funds will be used to implement the first phase of the accessibility route — the longest in Ukraine, which includes both tram and pedestrian connections.

The project overall involves more than 1.1 billion UAH for 11 pilot communities to create accessible spaces as part of the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development called "Movement Without Barriers," supported by the First Lady Olena Zelenska.

It is worth noting that Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov declared 2025 as the Year of Accessibility in Odesa. The city authorities, led by the mayor, are focused on creating an inclusive environment: a Council for Accessibility has been established, a city program and action plan have been adopted, and priorities have been set across various sectors: infrastructure, transport, rehabilitation, adaptive sports, digitalization, and more. The work in all areas is coordinated by the mayor's advisor on accessibility issues, Oleksiy Morozov.

According to him, the effectiveness of this work is ensured by a strong team: in addition to specialized departments and services, the Council for Accessibility includes veterans and people with disabilities. They determine priorities and oversee each stage.

"Just a year ago, residents of Odesa could not imagine that by the summer of 2025, our city would transform into a powerful rehabilitation center. Recently, a fully renovated inclusive beach will open at the 11th station of the Great Fountain. We are also launching a large inclusive sports ground with adaptive equipment. The process is moving quickly and smoothly," Morozov said.

Regarding the "Movement Without Barriers" project, Odesa is a leader: the city is implementing the longest inclusive tram route "North-South." Additionally, there will be an inclusive pedestrian route — work on its implementation is already actively underway.

The Council for Accessibility conducts systematic inspections, checking each stop, pedestrian crossing, entrance to buildings, route arrangements, and their condition. Project Ambassadors, including Valentyna Khoruzha, who heads the Youth Council in the city, are involved in this work.

"Such coordination allows us to effectively meet the existing needs for accessible infrastructure. It is important for me that from initiative to implementation, it takes weeks, not years. Projects are not left on paper but are brought to life. I am very grateful to Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov for his full support of this crucial work," Oleksiy Morozov emphasized.

"Movement Without Barriers" is a flagship project of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development, implemented as part of the First Lady Olena Zelenska's initiative "Without Barriers." The goal of the project is to create accessible routes in pilot communities: Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Ternopil, Lviv, Rivne, Chernivtsi, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Slavutych, Kropyvnytskyi, Bucha, as well as in the villages of Opishnya and Borodyanka.