Eco-solutions: Kyiv plans to increase number of areas without mowing grass

Oleksandr Vozny, the Director of the Department of Environmental Protection and Adaptation to Climate Change, stated that the number of grassy areas not being mowed will be growing in the capital.

He reported this during an interview with "Vechirnyi Kyiv."

What is the problem?

The Kyiv Digital app just finished conducting a survey focused on the city's environment, with approximately 40,000 Kyiv residents participating.

According to Vozny, over 20,000 people voted in favor of expanding areas without mowing and incorporating various types of grasses in Kyiv Digital, which accounts for 66% of the respondents.

What is the solution?

Therefore, in Kyiv, the number of areas without mowing the grass will be increased.

^{Photo: Oleksandr Vozny}

"We've already met with the "Kyivzelenbud" association, district government administrations, and management companies to update them on the voting results. We're currently working on a decision to increase the number of these plots," Vozny said.

How does it work?

The director of the Department of Environmental Protection and Adaptation to Climate Change is confident that creating new areas without mowing will require the city's organizational efforts and outreach initiatives.

"Some Kyivans understand the reasons for not mowing the grass, while others complain about the untidiness and overgrowth in areas 15-51. Recently, residents in the Dnipro district took matters into their own hands and mowed a particular plot themselves. Therefore, having information boards or signs would be useful. During our visit to Berlin, we noticed that one section of the park was mowed and used as a lawn for sports and leisure activities, while the other part was left with natural vegetation, including herbs, flowers, and insects," Vozny said.

Currently, in Kyiv, there are 65 unmowed plots spanning 149 hectares, according to him.

Next year, the project will expand to include additional participants such as:

• management companies,
• associations of co-owners of apartment buildings,
• and educational institutions.

It is worth mentioning that the residents of Kyiv have regularly signed petitions and urged city officials to cease all lawn mowing. According to the citizens and environmental activists, this measure would bring numerous benefits, including conserving resources, promoting biodiversity, and reducing temperatures.

In addition, plants will moisturize and purify the air.

For reference:

It should be noted that as early as May 2023, Kyiv was required to plant 25 decorative meadows and stop mowing the grass on experiment plots in order to implement European biodiversity conservation methods.

In 2024, the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, continued the experiment with decorative meadows and the refusal to mow the grass.

However, in July, the decision was made to temporarily halt lawn maintenance in all public spaces because of the extreme heat in Kyiv. This included the majority of parks and squares in the city and numerous other green spaces. The rationale behind this decision was that the abundance of trees, shrubs, and lawns in the city would make it more bearable to endure the heat.

Additionally, in the capital, the Kyiv City State Administration's Department of Ecology and Natural Resources is initiating an environmental project called "The City of Living Walls," which aims to implement vertical greenery using Anthurium veitchii.