Khmelnytskyi delegation to visit Dresden for urban development exchange

During 14-16 September 2026, a delegation from U_CAN pilot city Khmelnytskyi will travel to Dresden, Germany, for a three-day exchange visit focused on sustainable urban development. The visit, organised within the framework of the U_CAN project and the Dresden–Stuttgart–Khmelnytskyi Solidarity Partnership, will bring together municipal officials, academics, and practitioners from both cities for a programme centred on sustainable mobility, adaptive traffic management, waste management, and the circular economy.

This will be the second such exchange visit between a Ukrainian U_CAN pilot city and Dresden. In late September 2025, a delegation from Zhytomyr spent four days in Dresden exploring urban greening, community gardening, and climate-friendly land use, gathering ideas and forging connections that have since fed directly into Zhytomyr's pilot project to renovate its municipal greenhouses. The upcoming Khmelnytskyi visit follows in the same spirit, combining hands-on learning with the kind of people-to-people exchange that builds lasting partnerships.

For Khmelnytskyi, the focus will be on sustainable urban mobility and adaptive traffic management, areas central to the city's U_CAN pilot, which is developing an AI-based system to optimise traffic flow and reduce emissions. Dresden partners will share their approaches to smart city development, climate action, and the implementation of the EU Cities Mission. The Khmelnytskyi delegation will also have the opportunity to receive expert feedback on their pilot and explore pathways for its further development. The programme will also cover waste management, the circular economy, and resource recovery, drawing on municipal, academic, and private-sector perspectives from the Dresden region.

Beyond the technical agenda, the visit carries strong institutional and academic significance. With two Khmelnytskyi universities, KhNU and LYKUML, represented in the delegation alongside TU Dresden as U_CAN project coordinator, the programme will also explore opportunities for academic mobility, researcher exchanges, and joint initiatives. This will help strengthen the personal and professional networks that underpin long-term cooperation between the two cities.

A full account of the visit's outcomes will be shared following the delegation's return.