E34: Tactical Urbanism in a War Zone: The Power of Citizen-Led Action with Mikael Colville-Andersen 

Written By Concept Culture

What can a city learn about resilience when people are forced to redesign how they live?

Mikael Colville-Andersen, urban designer, filmmaker and host of the TV Show 'The Life-Sized City', joins host Tanisha Raffiuddin on Talking Place to explore the tactical urbanism projects he delivered in Ukraine during the full-scale war. From coordinating thousands of donated bicycles as humanitarian aid to transforming Kyiv's Kontraktova Square with volunteers, Mikael shares how cities and communities can respond when conventional systems are under extraordinary pressure.

The conversation goes beyond the immediate realities of war to examine what other cities can learn from Ukraine. Mikael reflects on the role of simple, analogue systems, from generators keeping local businesses running to trams repurposed to carry water, and how bicycle infrastructure can become part of evacuation planning. He also challenges cities to experiment through temporary projects, question decades of car-centric planning and give citizens more room to shape the places they live.

Topics Covered:

  • How tactical urbanism transformed Kyiv's Kontraktova Square during the war

  • What Ukrainian cities can teach us about resilience and analogue systems

  • Why cities need to experiment through temporary pilot projects

  • How bicycles became humanitarian and evacuation infrastructure in Ukraine

  • Why car-centric planning needs to be challenged

  • How citizens can play a bigger role in changing their cities

About Our Guest

Mikael Colville-Andersen is an urban designer, filmmaker, photographer, TV host and author known for his work exploring how cities can become better places for people. He has worked in more than 100 cities and is the host of the global TV series ‘The Life-Sized City’, which explores urban life through the people and ideas shaping cities around the world.

From 2022 to 2025, Mikael was based in Kyiv, Ukraine, where he worked on tactical urbanism projects during the full-scale war, coordinated donated bicycles as humanitarian aid and developed projects including therapy gardens, community spaces and cycling strategies. His work combines urban design, storytelling and citizen-led action to challenge how we think about the cities we live in.

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Talking Place is hosted by Tanisha Raffiuddin, Creative Director at Concept Culture.

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