Do-it-yourself urban beautification: how activists in Sumy started easy–from street lights

Alice Smahina

What is city comfort? Quality roads and sidewalks, convenient infrastructure, no clutter, and garbage on the streets, good color solutions, well-equipped recreation places, fully functioning cultural and religious locations. That not only pleases the aborigines in everyday life but also contributes to touristic attractiveness.

However, domestic tourism experts believe that many cities in Ukraine lack not only common comfort but also new signature projects that could become interesting trademarks people would come to see. It is logical to assume that first, local authorities should be interested in supporting both historical heritage and innovations, as it increases the overall rating of any town. In fact, they only remember about repairing and improving the city once every few years before the election. As a result, locals are traditionally dissatisfied, and the tourists are surprised with disappointment after looking at a few historical monuments in a poor condition and not having the expected field day, asking, "Why did I come here at all?"

In the city of Sumy, civic activists decided to take matters into their own hands, not only to make their hometown a little livelier but also to draw the authorities' attention to its problems.