TRANSFORMATION OF THE CITY INTO A HUMAN RIGHTS SPACE: CURRENT CHALLENGES AND GLOBAL STANDARDS

Abstract

Introduction. In the modern highly urbanized world, cities are real actors in the implementation of legal policy in the field of human rights. The development of the concept of a «Human Rights City» represents one of the possible avenues for meaningful of local self-government in Ukraine. The purpose of this article is to examine the conceptual foundations of the formation of a «Human Rights City», analyze the global experience in the development of such cities and identify prospects and challenges for Ukraine in the context of global and national transformations.

Summary of the main results of the study. The article examines the origins of the concept of a «Human Rights City». International experience in the formation of human rights cities, particularly the provisions of the European Charter for the Protection of Human Rights in the City and the practices of individual municipalities, demonstrates the effectiveness of consolidating respect for human rights at the local level.

In our view, it is the combination of high-quality regulatory and legal regulation, institutional capacity, the development of legal culture, and active community participation that ensures the effective implementation of human rights in the urban environment.

The concept of reforming local self-government should be based on the integration of a human rights based approach across areas of local policy, from spatial planning and infrastructure development to social protection and environmental policy.

By considering the reform of modern cities through the prism of legal urbanism, the article integrates legal regulation, urban practices and community values.

Conclusions. For a modern city, the issue of human rights is neither a tribute to fashion nor an unrealistic mission. The sphere of human rights is reflected everyday life: the transport we use to commute to work, whether is it safe to return home in the evening, and whether a blind person can independently purchase groceries. Respect for human rights is embodied not only in declarations or strategic plans, but in daily interaction with urban environment, which can either support human dignity or create new barriers. A human rights city should not be viewed as an idealized model. Rather, it represents a pragmatic and progressive development strategy with clearly defined goals that can increase resilience to contemporary challenges, improve quality of life, and strengthen trust between public authorities and the community. Such a model reflects legal regulation, institutional capacity, and legal culture within society. Despite the challenges of martial law, economic crises and other destabilizing factors, there remains significant potential for creative approaches to urban development and for building cities that ensure dignified living conditions for their residents. This perspective opens the way to sustainable, safe, and inclusive development, in which human rights are not an abstraction but a matter of daily practice.