All-Ukrainian Forum 'City Development Institutions" took place in Kryvyi Rih

The event was initiated by Kryvyi Rih City Development Institute (CDI) with the support of Kryvyi Rih City Council, PJSC "ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih" and MLED Project.

Over 50 representatives of city development institutions from different cities of Ukraine - Kyiv, Kherson, Nova Kahovka, Ternivka, Nikopol, Lviv, Sevastopol, Rivne, Vinnitsa, Lugansk, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkassy and others, as well as representatives of Canadian cities Regina and Vernon took part in two-days event.

While opening the event Deputy Mayor of Kryvyi Rih Oleksandr Svitlychnyi passed personal greetings from the Mayor Yuriy Vilkul and pointed out main tasks of the Forum.

"This Forum is called to clarify the place of local development institutions, their significance and key tasks, as well as to develop joint strategy of activities with the aim of enhancing their efficiency. We hope that the Forum will become a recommendable platform for exchange of experience, attracting investments and establishing contacts. And in this way it will facilitate the formation of the culture of economically and socially justified cities' development", - mentioned Oleksandr Svitlychnyi.
 
For Ukraine LED institutions are relatively new phenomenon, and they are just getting on the way of self-determination, though we can say for sure that their inclusion in the economic development processes has already taken place. Joining the efforts with authorities, business and community they are developing cities in a systematic way, leading them to welfare and prosperity.  

During the event first achievements of Kryvyi Rih City Development Institute were presented. This independent economic development structure was created and is successfully operating since July 2012. First projects, developed by the Kryvyi Rih City Development Institute are already working in support of city's image, increasing its investment attractiveness. Institute Director Andriy Nahornyi acquainted the participants with the most efficient projects of the organization - "Industrial Tourism", "Kryvyi Rih Marketing Strategy", "Creation of the Logo and Brand of Kryvyi Rih".

MLED project works persistently on the idea of development of the institutions for managing the process of local economic development (LED), using best Canadian practices in LED for over three years.
Oleksander Kucherenko, MLED Project Director mentioned: "I see considerable changes after three years of our joint work with Kryvyi Rih. Practical experience and models which we were developing in the city are successful and are becoming model examples for Ukraine. They can be implemented in other cities."

In Canada local development institutions are rather wide spread and very often even small towns have local institutions dealing with the issues of cities' development and promotion, investment attraction, and are powerful catalyst of positive changes in the life of contemporary cities.

On the invitation of the MLED Project Larry Hiles, CEO of Regina Regina Regional Opportunities Commission for more than 10 years and Wayne Robert Local Economic Development Expert, MLED Project, took part in the Forum.
On the opinion of Canadian experts, the best result for the city development is provided by joining, on the partnership basis, the efforts of local government, development institutions and business.

Mr Hiles made the presentation "Regina Regional Opportunities Commission (RROC)." This institution was created with the aim of separating the function of economic development from city hall, involving private sector into the work on economic development and integrating the tourism function into the economic development sphere and also have more effective and less bureaucratic structure, rather than a department in the municipality's structure.  The Commission is dealing with identification, development and promotion of the city's opportunities facilitating economic wellbeing of those who live, work, visit and invest in Regina.

During plenary sessions the participants discussed the issues of territories' development and the ways of solving them, and also the issue of attracting investments as the most efficient way of improving city's economy.

During the second day the Forum's participants were offered interesting informative tour of industrial objects of the city, during which the guests had an opportunity to see by themselves that Kryvyi Rih can be attractive for tourists. More on industrial tourism in Kryvyi Rih read at the website «Acting Industry».