Three Seas Economic Journal

58

Vol. 3 No. 3, 2022

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms 
of the Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 4.0

1 State Pedagogical University;
Sector of Innovation and Investment Problems of Industrial Development,
Institute of Industrial Economics of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine (corresponding author)
E-mail: omvitaliy@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0713-1444
ResearcherID: Q-6358-2016
2 Sumy State Pedagogical University, Ukraine
E-mail: maxwmail28@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8010-793X
3 Sumy State Pedagogical University, Ukraine
E-mail: velozu97aproved@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4709-6735

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30525/2661-5150/2022-3-9

INNOVATIVE PROJECTS FOR THE REVITALIZATION  
OF OLD INDUSTRIAL AREAS

Vitaliy Omelyanenko1, Maksym Vernydub2, Oleh Nosachenko3

Abstract. The purpose of this study is to consider the revitalization of old industrial areas in the framework of 
the project approach, which will take into account modern trends in innovative development. Methodology. 
The authors consider the revitalization of old industrial areas in the framework of the project approach, which 
will take into account modern trends in innovative development. The study based on the review of successful 
foreign and domestic experience allowed to summarize the key provisions of the revitalization of old industrial 
areas. It is determined that modern regional policy is implemented on the basis of targeted solution of specific 
problems and implementation of infrastructure projects. In foreign countries, new approaches are being  
applied to stimulate regional development through measures aimed at maximizing the use of regional potential, 
promoting entrepreneurship and innovation, supporting educational projects and retraining the local workforce, 
which allows better use of the potential of depressed regions in connection with the development of more 
prosperous regions of the country. Practical implications. The formation of the innovation system of old industrial 
cities and regions integrated into the knowledge economy concerns the interaction of business entities at all  
levels: an adequate response of industrial enterprises to changing operating conditions should be supported by 
effective institutional policy of the region and the state. Studying the world experience of modernization of old 
industrial regions makes it possible to identify the best practices and tools that will contribute to the development 
of these territories. Foreign experience convincingly proves the success of such projects and can be very  
interesting for certain territories and monocities of Ukraine. The choice of a specific model of revitalization  
should be carried out in each case individually, but the comprehensive renewal of the district territory involves 
a certain set of measures aimed at determining the new function of industrial areas, their planning structure, 
taking into account the entire urban organism. Value/originality. Based on the generalization of current trends,  
the promising components of modern projects for the revitalization of old industrial areas were identified.  
In this regard, the creative cluster is an effective tool for demonstrating modern technologies directly  
in natural conditions, which contributes to the confident promotion of humane and progressive ideas  
in modern society. 

Key words: old industrial regions, innovations, revitalization, creative cluster, project. 

JEL Classification: O25, R11, R58

1. Introduction
In the modern world, economic globalization  

and the development of new technologies have led 
to increased competition between countries and 
regions. Developed countries have already moved to 
a fundamentally new post-industrial or information 

model of development. Old industrial regions, which 
used to be the backbone of the national economy,  
have turned into depressed areas that need to be 
transformed by the 1960s and 1970s.

Old industrial regions developed dynamically, but 
today most of them are in a state of socio-economic  



Three Seas Economic Journal

59

Vol. 3 No. 3, 2022
crisis, in which they found themselves due to the  
inability to adapt to new conditions. In particular, the 
problems of old industrial areas are typical for the 
regions, many of which often do not have modern 
production facilities and competitive products.

The common problem of the countries that went 
through a period of transformation in the 90s of the 
twentieth century is the social, economic, urban 
planning and architectural consequences of the 
decline of large industrial enterprises. To ensure the  
sustainable development of the territories where  
these enterprises were located, urban planning  
projects are needed that provide a new and modern 
look, transforming outdated territories into new  
urban spaces filled with modern solutions for 
future residents and all city residents (Sustainable 
Development of Old Industrial Regions of Ukraine: 
Innovative Dimension, 2021). In such projects, it 
is necessary to offer a model and concept that will  
include a set of solutions necessary for the life,  
recreation and development of a modern citizen. The 
territory should receive modern space, additional 
infrastructure capabilities, engineering networks,  
social infrastructure, public areas, etc. 

The formation of the innovation system of old 
industrial cities and regions integrated into the 
knowledge economy lies in the plane of interaction 
of business entities at all levels: an adequate response 
of industrial enterprises to changing operating  
conditions should be supported by effective institu-
tional policy of the region and the state.

Studying the experience of modernization of 
old industrial regions makes it possible to identify 
best practices and tools that will contribute to the 
development of these territories.

2. Literature review
Detrick S. (1999) describes the transformation 

of a steel-producing Pittsburgh with an extremely 
tense environmental situation into a center of quality 
medicine, education, nanotechnology, and financial 
services. In other studies, for example, Dicken P.  
(2002) and Koutsk J., Slach O., Boruta T. (2011) 
analyze the transformation of textile Manchester  
into the cradle of cultural life through the recon- 
struction of urban areas, the development of creative 
industries, and the modernization of transport 
infrastructure.

The success of Emscher Park, a symbol of the new 
economy of the cities of the Ruhr region (once the 
center of the coal and steel industry throughout  
Europe), is explained by the following factors  
Shaw R . (2002): commercial companies, non-
profit organizations, as well as residents of the 
region, independently resources. The state was given 
a predominantly coordinating role.

Despite the availability of significant international 
experience in the revitalization of old industrial  
areas, these processes should take into account  
national specifics and local context. Therefore, the 
purpose of this study is to consider the revitalization 
of old industrial areas in the framework of the project 
approach, which will take into account modern  
trends in innovative development.

3. World experience in revitalization  
of old industrial areas

Abandoned factories, ports, warehouses and other 
unused industrial areas can once again become an 
important and attractive part of the city. Thanks to 
the joint efforts of architects, designers, sociologists,  
local authorities and civic activists, post-industrial  
zones are being transformed into active areas with 
residential buildings, business space, public spaces, 
cultural and tourist attractions. The transformation 
of former industrial areas has been a popular trend in  
cities across Europe and the world for over 30 years.

Foreign experience convincingly proves the success 
of such projects and can be very interesting for certain 
territories and monocities of Ukraine. 

The most famous examples of redevelopment, 
regeneration and revitalization of industrial areas are 
located in Western Europe and North America. Some 
of them need no introduction even for those people 
who are far from architecture, urban planning and/or 
tourism. These are London's M&M's World and the 
Docklands quarter, Germany 's Umbau Wassertum 
and Wunderland Kalkar Amusement Park, Montreal's 
780 Brewster, New York's "Lincoln Center" and 
a number of others. The result of the redevelopment of 
the industrial canal zone in Birmingham is particularly 
unique, as the transformation of the city that took  
place in this case was very significant in terms of 
its perception by tourists. This is the case when the 
revitalization of industrial infrastructure resulted in 
not a secondary, but even a primary city attraction. In 
the most economically developed countries, there are 
many examples of industrial redevelopment that are 
neighbors with natural places of unique scenic and 
species characteristics, as in the case of the Norwegian 
district of Rjukan-Notodden. Of great interest is the 
experience of innovations in industrial zones based 
on the example of individual industries. For example, 
the redevelopment of meat industry territories 
(Slaughterhouses & Meatpacking Districts) as one 
of the most thematically successful from the point of  
view of vivid international examples (Strömberg, 2017).

In Poland, revitalization projects began to develop 
at the beginning of the 21st century. In 2002, work 
began on the transformation of the Lodz textile factory 
of Israel Poznański into the Manufactura shopping 
and entertainment center; in the same year in the 



Three Seas Economic Journal

60

Vol. 3 No. 3, 2022
city of Konstancin, near Warsaw, in a factory building  
of the nineteenth century, a luxurious and chamber 
shopping center "Old Paper Factory " (Stara Papiernia) 
appeared. Three years later, the building of the old  
power plant in the center of Radom housed the  
Masovian Museum of Modern Art, and in Katowice, 
the Silesia City Center shopping center, operating on 
the territory of a closed mine, was put into operation.  
In 2003, the Old Brewery was opened in Poznań, 
and the Bolko Loft, a house on the site of a former 
mine lamp house, was opened in Bytom. After that, 
the former factories began to turn into residential  
buildings in Lodz, Gliwice and Zirardow.

In general, the following models of transformation 
of old industrial territories are distinguished  
(Kornienko, 2019):

1. The model of preservation of production 
functions, which is characterized by: preservation of 
the original appearance of the building (restoration) 
and technological re-equipment of production in the 
existing configuration of the building or structure 
(modernization).

2. The model of partial replacement of functions, 
which is characterized by: reconstruction of the 
planning structure with increasing the stability of its 
characteristics; re-profiling of objects into museums  
and museum-exhibition complexes; introduction of 
new objects of urban planning importance in industrial 
areas of historical and cultural value.

3. The model of complete replacement of functions 
has the following features: re-profiling of industrial 
facilities and territories; improvement and landscaping 
of depressed areas; complete demolition of industrial 
buildings and use of the territory for other purposes.

4. Key issues of revitalization projects  
of old industrial areas

The choice of a specific model should be carried 
out in each case individually, but the comprehensive 
renovation of the district territory involves 
a certain set of measures aimed at determining the new  
function of industrial areas, their planning structure, 
taking into account the entire urban organism based 
on the following principles (Chelnokov, Samoylenko, 
Kozlova, 2016):

1. The principle of sustainable development of the 
territory.

2. The principle of environmental friendliness. 
Creation of a favorable environmental climate in 
the territories under reconstruction or adjacent to  
industrial facilities by removing or closing harmful 
production and its elimination.

3. The principle of forming the ecological  
framework of large areas.

4. The principle of "polycentricity " of the city. 
Creation of a developed center of the planning district 

with its own specialization and with the development  
of both commercial and public functions.

5. The principle of deindustrialization, reduction 
of industrial activity of the district, replacement  
of its functional orientation.

6. The principle of priority. Increasing the density  
and intensity of development in compact areas.

Based on the generalization of current trends, it is 
possible to identify promising components of modern 
projects for the revitalization of old industrial areas:

1. "Green offices". The stimulus for the emergence 
of an increasing number of "green" business centers in 
Ukraine is the oversaturation of the office segment and 
the growing competition between facilities. An office 
built according to "green" standards is characterized  
by lower maintenance costs and better working 
conditions for employees. Furthermore, it is an 
additional opportunity for companies to demonstrate 
corporate social responsibility and environmental 
culture. There is a wide range of energy efficient 
technologies that can be used by developers in the 
construction and modernization of office space.

2. Redevelopment and reconstruction of industrial 
areas. Repurposing old industrial real estate in new 
directions is a global trend that is being implemented  
in Ukraine.

3. Synergy of formats – the formation of multi-
functional centers. Such projects combine workspaces 
with service, entertainment and educational 
components. These can be exhibition venues, art 
spaces, galleries. The trend concerns not only the  
office segment, but also the real estate market as a  
whole. An example is "Art-zavod Platforma", the  
territory of which unites the co-working space of the 
Platforma brand, large-scale festivals, the creative  
space "AkT", locations for concerts and holding 
corporate events.

4. Office center vs full-fledged ecosystem. A stan- 
dard set of internal infrastructure, including cafes,  
restaurants, etc. is not enough today. In order for 
a business center to be competitive, it is necessary to 
make office projects more service-oriented, taking  
into account the scope of activities and interests of 
tenants ("humanization of space" – the opportunity  
to work, relax, go to the gym, attend lectures,  
exhibitions or master classes without leaving the 
business center). Modern business centers are no  
longer just workplaces, but a full-fledged dynamic 
ecosystem.

5. Development of coworking spaces. Flexible 
office formats are becoming increasingly popular in  
Ukraine. The development of coworking is due to 
the following reasons: changing approaches to the 
organization of the work process in large cities, 
strengthening the role of creative work and outsour-
cing, as well as the development of new technologies. 
This format allows companies to optimize office costs.



Three Seas Economic Journal

61

Vol. 3 No. 3, 2022
Creative cluster is a relatively new phenomenon, 

which is experimental in nature and is implemented 
mainly through revitalization – the gradual adaptation 
of illiquid real estate: old plants or factories that  
were vacated as a result of deindustrialization.

The task of increasing the "creativity " of the 
economy implies a completely different level of 
requirements for work and the surrounding space and 
relations between people. Unlike workers and service  
personnel, the creative class is not paid for routine  
work, but for intellectual work and social skills. Such 
people are less and less ready to work in classic office 
business centers and require immersion in a special, 
creative environment.

First, despite the development of remote work 
opportunities, the synergy of co-location remains 
important for people in creative professions.

Second, due to such proximity, a high density of 
events and connections (cultural, economic and social) 
between people is achieved.

Third, this environment provides an opportunity 
to gather on one compact platform the audience of 
consumers of the products of these creative industries 
(which is often the same for different creative  
segments).

Fourth, the concentration of creative people,  
activities and events combined with the design of  
the space creates a sense of high quality of life that  
allows to feel comfortable, productive and develop.

The main task of the creative cluster is to attract  
the creative community of the city and talented youth  
to its territory, to provide the environment and 
conditions for the emergence of their business ideas,  
as well as to produce, promote and sell their products. 
The absence of any of these elements complicates  
the task of creating a cluster.

The most attractive for potential residents of the 
cluster are:

1. Co-location – neighborhood: this factor allows you 
to be close to your customers, customers and colleagues.

2. Completeness and quality of service: bicycle 
parking, charging for telephone and electric transport, 
recycling points, free Internet access.

3. Price / quality: for minimal funds, more 
opportunities are provided – together with square 
meters, the resident receives image bonuses of the status 
of a resident of a fashionable place.

4. Spirit of the place: the presence of the spirit and 
history of the place, the architectural and aesthetic  
value of the object.

5. Do what you want: the ability of residents to freely 
change the rented space for themselves and participate 
in the design of the overall environment of the cluster.

6. Diversity of layouts: constructive and planning 
diversity, a minimum of typical and uniform forms.

7. Access 24/7: round the clock access to the territory 
and the opportunity to spend the night there.

8. A city within a city: human-scale heterogeneous 
development – ideally an entire block with courtyards, 
streets, and protected interior space.

9. An engaged owner who can speak the same 
language with tenants – one for whom the develop-
ment of a creative cluster is a long-term strategy.

10. Accessibility: the ability to easily reach the  
space by public and private transport or on foot, the 
availability of parking spaces.

11. Attractive environment: a well-maintained area 
that includes places for sports and various activities, 
street coffee shops, bars, food establishments, as well 
as attractive design of the territory (artist's works,  
art objects, high-quality environmental design).

12. Education: open cultural and educational 
program, spaces for events, exchange of experience  
and communication.

When creating creative clusters it is necessary to 
take into account the global trend of energy saving 
and energy efficiency. In this regard, the creative 
cluster is an effective tool for demonstrating modern 
energy-saving technologies directly in natural 
(operational) conditions, which contributes to the 
confident promotion of humane and progressive  
ideas of energy saving in modern society. At the 
same time, the territory of the technopark can be  
considered as a kind of "demonstration platform"  
for the results of science-intensive innovative  
production activities of the technopark, the search  
for the most effective technologies of "smart home"  
and "smart city ".

In terms of energy saving, according to the 
authors, the most promising is the promotion of the 
following science-intensive fundamental and applied 
technologies:
– development of solar energy in architecture and 
construction;
– development of optoelectronics for the production  
of LEDs and their application in artificial lighting 
systems for buildings and territories;
– development of technologies for the production  
of reliable and durable building materials and  
products with increased heat-shielding, moisture-
proofing, air-proofing and sound-proofing properties;
– the use of external building envelopes (walls,  
windows, roofs, basements, etc.) with an increased  
level of thermal protection;
– the use of highly efficient engineering systems  
with automatic control (individual heating points, 
meters for the consumption of thermal energy and  
water, thermostats on heating devices, mechanical 
ventilation with heat recovery of exhaust air); the 
highest energy performance can be achieved only with 
the thermal insulation of the entire building envelope 
and the use of highly efficient engineering systems  
with automatic control, which reduces the cost of 
thermal energy for heating and ventilation by 70%;



Three Seas Economic Journal

62

Vol. 3 No. 3, 2022
– improvement of natural lighting systems in  
buildings through the use of hollow tubular light  
guides; the use of light guides can reduce the cost 
of artificial lighting of the building and increase  
the comfort of people working in the room;
– construction of energy-passive and energy-active 
buildings; they either consume almost no energy  
from external sources, or they produce more than  
they consume;
– the use of a quarterly type of building, which 
streamlines the planning structure, improves heat and 
mass transfer processes and contributes to an increase 
in the comfort of urban development;
– the use of green building technologies, which 
contributes to the formation of conditions for  
a healthy lifestyle, primarily by absorbing dust,  
reducing noise levels and protecting building  
enclosing structures from atmospheric influences;  
the use of green roofs smooths out the effect of "heat 
islands" by equalizing surface temperatures and  
can significantly reduce the average temperature of an 
entire city;
– application of multidisciplinary scientific and 
educational services for the training of competent 
specialists.

An important factor in the implementation 
of innovative solutions at the territorial level is 
international.

Thus, thanks to the EU and UNDP, 
20 target communities in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts  
received unique marketing strategies, visual identity 
and brands to strengthen and promote local identity. 
The project brought together a team of developers 
with various stakeholders: representatives of local 
administrations, business, education, civil society 
activists and cultural figures. Communities and their 
residents were able to realize the advantages of their 
own territory for development and turn it into their 
personal unique brand.

The UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme 
is implemented by four UN agencies: The United 
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the 
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the 
Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United 
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Food and 
Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The programme is supported by twelve international 
partners: The European Union (EU), the European 
Investment Bank (EIB), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine,  
as well as the governments of Canada, Denmark, 

Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, 
Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

5. Conclusions
The formation of the innovation system of old 

industrial cities and regions integrated into the 
knowledge economy concerns the interaction of 
business entities at all levels: an adequate response 
of industrial enterprises to changing operating  
conditions should be supported by effective 
institutional policy of the region and the state. The 
formation of the innovation system of old industrial 
cities and regions integrated into the knowledge 
economy concerns the interaction of business  
entities at all levels: an adequate response of  
industrial enterprises to changing operating conditions 
should be supported by effective institutional policy 
of the region and the state. The choice of a specific 
model of revitalization should be carried out in each 
case individually, but the comprehensive renewal of 
the district territory involves a certain set of measures 
aimed at determining the new function of industrial 
areas, their planning structure, taking into account the 
entire urban organism. Based on the generalization 
of current trends, it is possible to identify promising 
components of modern projects for the revitalization 
of old industrial areas. When creating creative clusters 
it is necessary to take into account the global trend of 
energy saving and energy efficiency. In this regard, the 
creative cluster is an effective tool for demonstrating 
modern energy-saving technologies directly in natural 
(operational) conditions, which contributes to the 
confident promotion of humane and progressive ideas 
of energy saving in modern society. Creative cluster is 
a relatively new phenomenon, which is experimental 
in nature and is implemented mainly through 
revitalization – the gradual adaptation of illiquid real 
estate: old plants or factories that were vacated as  
a result of deindustrialization.

6. Acknowledgement 
The publication was publicly funded by Ministry of 

Education and Science of Ukraine for developing of 
research project "Innovative component of security of 
sustainable development of old industrial regions of 
Ukraine: strategic directions of institutional support 
and technology transfer in innovation landscapes" and 
Project LET EDU 85399/17 (Italy).

References:
20 communities of eastern Ukraine received new brands. Relief Web. 2021. Аvailable at: https://reliefweb.int/
sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/PR_TCBranding_Ukr.pdf 
5 trends in office real estate in Ukraine. Аvailable at: https://commercialproperty.ua/interview/5-trendov- 
ofisnoy-nedvizhimosti-v-ukraine-/



Three Seas Economic Journal

63

Vol. 3 No. 3, 2022
Chelnokov, A. V., Samoylenko, E. V., & Kozlova, E. S. (2016). Renovation of the riverside industrial area  
in the central part of Dnepropetrovsk. Construction, materials science, mechanical engineering, vol. 90, pp. 188–193.
Detrick, S. (1999). The Post Industrial Revitalization of Pittsburgh: Myths and Evidence. Community  
Development Journal, vol. 1(34), pp. 4–12.
Dicken, P. (2002). Global Manchester: from globaliser to globalised. City of revolution: restructuring  
Manchester / Edit. Jamie Peck, Kevin Ward. Manchester University press.
Kornienko, S. V. (2019). Revitalization of industrial zones. Search for a system update of the city. Energy saving ,  
vol. 6, pp. 14–16.
Koutsk, J., Slach, O., & Boruta, T. (2011). Restructuring Economies of Old Industrial Regions – Local  
Tradition, Global Trends. The Scale of Globalization. Think Globally, Act Locally, Change Individually in the  
21st Century. Ostrava: University of Ostrava.
Omelyanenko, V. A., Omelyanenko, O. M., & Artyukhova, N. O. (2021). Marketing of digital innovations  
in the context of sustainable development of the region. Economy and State, vol. 4, pp. 72–77.
Omelyanenko, V., Braslavska, O., Biloshkurska, N., Biloshkurskyi, M., Kliasen, N., & Omelyanenko, O. (2021). 
C-Engineering Based Industry 4.0 Innovation Networks Sustainable Development. International Journal of 
Computer Science and Network Security, vol. 21(9), pp. 267–274.
Shaw, R . (2002). The International Building Exhibition (IBA) Emscher Park, Germany: A Model for Sustainable 
Restructuring? European Planning Studies, vol. 10(1), pp. 77–97.
Strömberg, P. (2017). Meat and Creativity. Adaptive Reuse of Slaughterhouses & Meatpacking Districts.  
Nordic Journal of Architectural Research.
Omelyanenko, V. A. (ed.) (2021). Sustainable development of old industrial regions of Ukraine: innovative 
dimension: collective monograph. Sumy: Tritoria.
Zhuravleva, T., Tokarev, I., & Yarmoshchuk, Ya. (2019). A practical guide to creating a creative cluster. Flacon X.

Received on: 3th of September, 2022
Accepted on: 10th of October, 2022

Published on: 31th of October, 2022