Journal articles on the topic 'Outdated housing stock'

The city of Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, boasts a rich history that is deeply reflected in its architecture, culture, and social life. Over the centuries, Kharkiv has grown into an educational, scientific, and industrial hub, attracting people from across the country in search of opportunities and a better quality of life. However, alongside its development, the city has faced numerous challenges, one of the most pressing being the issue of outdated housing. A significant portion of Kharkiv's housing stock—approximately 64.5%—was constructed between the 1950s and the 1980s during a period of rapid industrialization and urban growth. These buildings, often referred to as "mass housing," were designed to meet the immediate housing needs of a growing population but no longer align with modern standards of comfort, safety, and energy efficiency. Today, they are characterized by outdated infrastructure, high levels of wear and tear, and deteriorating utility systems, which not only compromise the architectural environment but also pose risks to the health and well-being of residents. This article examines the typology of outdated buildings using Kharkiv as a case study. It highlights how this issue, while not unique to Kharkiv, is prevalent throughout Ukraine, albeit with specific local features that require tailored solutions. An additional challenge arises from the significant amount of housing damaged because of Russian aggression, which now demands urgent renovation and restoration. The problem extends beyond the physical condition of the buildings, touching upon a broader spectrum of socio- economic issues: housing accessibility, urban planning, environmental considerations, and the preservation of historical heritage. Addressing these interwoven challenges requires a comprehensive and integrated approach. Such a strategy must unite the efforts of the government, local authorities, civil society, and the private sector to ensure sustainable urban development, social equity, and resilience for Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities. By exploring these complex dynamics, the article aims to shed light on the importance of revitalizing outdated and damaged housing in Kharkiv, emphasizing the role of innovative solutions in creating a more livable and sustainable urban future. This article aims to analyze the issues of outdated housing in the city of Kharkiv, highlight its causes, assess its consequences for residents and the city, and propose possible solutions to address these challenges.

The article presents the conceptual and methodological foundations for evaluating the effectiveness of housing regeneration projects in the context of contemporary urban and socio-economic transformations. The study focuses on the systematization and analysis of investment planning tools that enable evidence-based decision-making regarding the reconstruction of outdated housing stock, ensuring economic viability, technical efficiency, and social justification. The object of the research is the processes of residential stock reconstruction, while the subject is the set of investment design tools, including financial, analytical, techno-economic, spatial, and institutional approaches. The methodology integrates life cycle cost analysis (LCCA), financial modeling (NPV, IRR, DPP), energy modeling, SWOT analysis, GIS technologies, and value engineering. The paper proposes a comprehensive concept for the reconstruction of a deteriorated urban district, incorporating principles of inclusiveness, sustainability, and community engagement. A case study of BIM-based reconstruction of a five-story residential building demonstrates reduced construction time and material waste. A multi-criteria evaluation framework is presented, covering economic, environmental, social, and urban planning indicators. The findings can inform municipal regeneration programs, investment project assessments in development, and policymaking for post-war recovery. The study substantiates the need for a holistic approach that integrates economic feasibility, technical implementability, and social relevance in reconstruction projects. Key investment planning tools are identified to support balanced and sustainable housing modernization decisions.

This article will help to consider the problem of reconstruction of the territories of the 5-story building, taking into account modern regulatory and legal city-building requirements. Since the implementation of any urban planning activities is aimed in one way or another at increasing the socio-economic efficiency of the use of urban territory, it is precisely the growing deficit of the territory that restrains the development of cities, especially large economic centers, and is a constant incentive for active urban planning activities associated with changing the nature of the functions -national use of the territory by densifying buildings, increasing the level of capital intensity and, accordingly, the quality of the urban environment.
 Areas of mass residential development in the 1960s and 1970s were designed and built in accordance with the urban planning rules and norms in force at that time, which took into account the entire complex of sanitary and hygienic, social, economic, technical and architectural requirements, using the advanced technologies of industrial housing construction at that time. , new residential areas played a historically important role in solving the housing problem. Currently, the territories of these areas and the houses and structures built in them are not only morally outdated, but also do not meet modern public views on housing standards and the urban environment as a whole. They, moreover, have reached a high degree of technical wear. Bearing and enclosing structures, systems of engineering equipment of residential and public buildings are in need of major repairs to improve their technical and operational characteristics. In need of capital repair, reconstruction of the territory within the microdistrict with the restoration of public service systems, landscaping, internal pedestrian and transport communications, engineering networks, with an increase in the number of parking spaces for individual vehicles.
 The publication touches on the topic of solving issues of complex reconstruction of quarters (micro-districts) of the outdated housing stock, which is an urgent task of our time. The reconstruction of quarters (micro-districts) of the outdated housing stock in the countries of Western Europe began as early as the 70s of the XX century, which determined the accumulation of significant reconstruction experience in these countries. Solving the tasks of complex reconstruction of quarters (micro-districts) of the old housing stock is aimed at increasing the efficiency of the use of urban areas and improving the living conditions of people in cities; elimination of physical and moral wear and tear of buildings; extending the service life of buildings and increasing their energy efficiency; improvement of the functional planning organization and architectural expressiveness of residential quarters (microdistricts).
 The European experience of complex reconstruction of neighborhoods (micro-districts) of outdated housing stock is based on two interrelated types of restoration activities: firstly, reconstruction of individual buildings; secondly – reconstruction of individual quarters (microdistricts). The practice of reconstruction of buildings is determined by their service life, structural features; the practice of reconstruction of neighborhoods - by location in the city structure, type of planning organization and provision of elements of social infrastructure.
 The traditional increase in the efficiency indicators of the urban territory is considered as the achievement of the maximum permissible concentration of the specified urban functions. In this case, we are talking about obtaining the maximum possible yield of living space per unit of territory within the regulatory limits. The analysis of territorial resources for the development of the city of Kyiv carried out in the draft of the General Plan indicates the future growth of the housing stock from 62.7 to 84.7 million m2. This indicates the need to develop both new territories and rational use of the territory within the city. One of the most important reserves, at the same time, is considered territories built up in the period of 60-70 years of the 20th century.
 The analysis of the legislative and regulatory framework for the development of projects for the complex reconstruction of an outdated housing stock, the study of theoretical and practical experience in the design and implementation of projects for the complex reconstruction of blocks (microdistricts) of 5-story buildings shows that increasing the efficiency of the use of urban territory -heals with the help of carrying out a complex and deeply thought-out complex of reconstructive measures. At the same time, the scale and character of the reconstruction is of significant importance. The analysis of the implementation of projects, mainly selective construction without serious consideration of the entire complex of social, urban planning, environmental and other consequences associated with the overdensification of buildings and, accordingly, the population, shows the need for:
 - increasing the level of reasonableness of the adoption of city-building decisions by local authorities;
 - return to compliance with the principles of comprehensive development of the urban territory, which is provided for by the current norms and rules of city planning and development, the basis of the state urban planning policy.

Introduction. The reconstruction of the housing stock is a current priority in urban development and real estate, as it enables the modernization of outdated buildings, improves their energy efficiency, and enhances living conditions. Investments in housing stock reconstruction are attractive due to their high liquidity and short payback period. At the same time, the development of an effective investment market in this area requires the creation of methodologies for evaluating investment attractiveness that take into account a wide range of factors, including economic, technical, social, and urban planning considerations. Methods. The following research methods were employed to achieve the set objectives: the monographic method (for an in-depth study of the features of investment support for housing stock reconstruction projects); factor analysis (to identify the factors influencing the investment attractiveness of projects); and the abstract and logical method (for theoretical generalizations and formulating conclusions). Results. It was proposed to view investment attractiveness as an integral indicator that encompasses development prospects, asset liquidity, financial stability, and the profitability of the reconstruction project. It depends on such parameters as the state of the real estate market, demand for construction products, the cost of materials, the efficiency of construction companies, projected economic indicators, and the social significance of the project. The methods of assessing investment attractiveness were systematized and were provisionally divided into quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitative methods include Net Present Value (NPV), Discounted Payback Period (DPP), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and the Accounting Rate of Return (ARR). They allow the calculation of a project’s economic efficiency based on financial indicators. Qualitative methods include the analysis of the investment climate, urban planning regulations, spatial factors, social and economic trends. Discussion. An important role in determining the cost of reconstruction is played by the technical condition of the object; its evaluation is carried out within the framework of a technical inspection or construction and technical expertise. Spatial factors (location, infrastructure, transport accessibility, environmental condition, and architectural appearance) also determine investment attractiveness. Overall, modern assessment methods help minimize risks and make informed decisions. Keywords: investment attractiveness, project, housing stock, efficiency.

The current housing stock in Ukraine is characterized by significant physical and moral deterioration, negatively impacting the population's quality of life and creating serious risks for residential safety. Given the limited budgetary resources and substantial capital investments required for constructing new housing, maximizing the potential of existing buildings and territories through effective reconstruction of outdated housing has become an essential task. Addressing this issue requires developing and implementing scientifically grounded methodological approaches to analyze and select investment projects for housing reconstruction. The research employed modern mathematical methods, ensuring accuracy in quantitative assessments and enabling the resolution of complex multifactorial problems beyond traditional analytical approaches. Specifically, factor analysis was applied, transitioning from an initial set of factors to a clearly structured factor model, identifying critical parameters significantly affecting the key investment indicators of reconstruction projects. The article develops an algorithm for selecting the optimal investment project for housing reconstruction, encompassing stages from preliminary evaluation of objects, analysis of their technical condition, and marketing research to financial-economic analysis and calculation of an integral indicator of investment attractiveness. The proposed methodology facilitated identifying the significance of spatial factors such as the attractiveness of the location, the condition of surrounding areas, infrastructure status, and environmental conditions, all directly affecting the investment attractiveness of reconstruction projects. Additionally, the research highlighted the necessity to consider not only technical and economic characteristics of real estate objects but also a comprehensive risk analysis associated with project implementation.

In the UK, the policy and practical drive for both new housing and carbon are achieving massive growth in the available stock and huge reductions in energy consumption per unit. The enormous new stock will, however, be almost immediately outdated by the arrival of the more restrictive rules under “The Future Homes Standard”. These events are a mirror image of the current and near-future ones occurring in all the nations of the European Union. The construction industries and real estate sectors of all these nations are faced with the looming obligations of retrofitting the housing just completed or even still in creation, in order to achieve the mandatory energy classes. In the light of this, the research reported addresses the adequate need for short and long-term strategies to rework our recently constructed buildings. The methodological approach is applied to the cases of two residential buildings recently built in the framework of an urban regeneration plan for northern England.

This paper critically analyzes Italy’s strategies to improve energy efficiency in the residential building sector, focusing on social housing. Using a policy-oriented qualitative research design supported by secondary data analysis, the study examines key instruments such as the Superbonus 110% initiative and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). It explores how these measures align with the European Green Deal and address the dual challenges of ecological transition and social equity. Findings reveal that while the Superbonus and PNRR investments significantly boosted energy retrofitting projects and macroeconomic indicators, access to benefits was uneven, favoring higher-income households. The analysis also highlights systemic barriers, such as bureaucratic complexity and initial cost barriers, that limit participation by vulnerable groups, particularly those living in outdated social housing. The paper concludes that future policies must better integrate social inclusion mechanisms, simplified administrative processes, and effectively target energy poverty to maximize environmental and social outcomes.

Abstract The paper aims to investigate the significance of energy efficiency during Ukraine’s post-war recovery and strategies to improve energy efficiency in buildings in mass housing estates. The motivation for improving energy efficiency is to strengthen the country’s energy independence, reduce the burden on the national budget, meet political commitments, and reduce negative environmental impacts. Currently, energy efficiency in Ukraine lags behind that of European Union countries, necessitating a review of policies and strategies in this field. The inefficient energy use by outdated housing structures has a negative impact on overall energy efficiency. To improve energy efficiency in the housing stock, it is crucial to target Soviet-era mass housing estates, which represent a considerable proportion of the country’s housing supply and fail to meet modern standards. This article provides an overview of the energy-efficient renovation strategies applied in Germany. These endeavors involve reducing heat losses caused by convection and conduction, regulating solar gains, and improving the energy efficiency of technical systems that cater to building services and occupant comfort.

Housing and communal services are one of the largest industries in the economic complex of Ukraine. At the same time, 61% of residential buildings in the country were built before 1970, that is, they are morally and physically outdated. This fact is a significant problem that threatens the stable functioning of our cities. It is for this reason that it is extremely important to develop methods of monitoring, strategic planning and anti-crisis management in architectural urbanism. In this article, as such a tool, the methods of compiling "Nodes of problems" are proposed, which are a component of a new paradigm - "Anti-crisis management in architectural urbanism", which is a component of such scientific and practical directions "Architectural urbanism" and "Urban management". "Node of problems" is a grapho-analytical method of outputting data obtained with the help of the "Software complex for modeling the city as a dynamic system", which is currently being developed at XNUUE named after O.M. Beketov.
 The new scientific direction "Anti-crisis management in architectural urbanism" is an actual response to the problem that has arisen in the field of complex reconstruction of quarters (microdistricts) of the outdated housing stock. Urban planning is the science of the city of extensive type of development. No urban planning regulations and rules indicate what to do with urban voids on the sites of abandoned factories, what to do with the problem of marginalization of "working quarters", how to implement road maps for optimizing the city's housing stock in conditions of almost complete disregard by the population of legislative requirements, and most importantly - how to achieve positive changes in the problem of housing reconstruction in conditions of limited access to resources.
 The essence of the method is to reflect the set of contradictions between the principles of functioning of the elements of the city system. The contradiction is the result of centrifugal and centripetal efforts arising in the processes of meeting the vital needs of the social component of the city. The city itself is considered as a collection of artifacts belonging to the social, man-made or natural subsystem. Dynamic processes of city functioning occur as a result of the interaction of these subsystems.

In the title presents an analysis of approaches and methods for reconstructing buildings and infrastructure based on principles of environmental sustainability and the functional requirements of a modern city on different types of buildings, including historical monuments of architecture, abandoned industrial areas, and outdated housing stock. Using the example of Mykolaiv, the article explores various construction approaches in the context of reconstruction, depending on the type, setting, and technical condition of the structures. Different feasible approaches are considered: restoration and adaptation for monuments of architecture, renovation and revitalization for abandoned industrial areas and reconstruction and renovation for outdated residential buildings. The article analyzes regulatory framework of Ukrainian legislation and state building codes, standards, and rules of Ukraine to determine environmental regulation in the Ukrainian. The directions of regulation of environmental standards in construction are considered, such as combating the root causes of environmental pollution, joint responsibility of construction customers, developers and regulatory structures in the implementation of environmental impact during construction. The article analyzes experience of the country of Estonia in the renovation of the outdated Soviet housing stock. Special attention is paid to the application of energy-efficient measures, such as bringing buildings to the "zero energy consumption" system, the use of ecological materials, the use of local resources. Estonia has practice in creating a centralized government structure that controls apartment associations, conducts training and consultations for them for the most effective management of residential buildings during the implementation of complex renovation of buildings. The article considered experience of the country of Denmark in the revitalization of abandoned industrial areas. Denmark has comprehensive approach, which consists in providing architectural and urban planning solutions, adjusting the regulatory framework at the local level, and analyzing the socio-economic situation. The benefits of revitalizing abandoned industrial areas are improving the environmental situation in the city area, creating an economically profitable area and a beautiful public space.

Данная статья описывает причины необходимости повышения эффективности проведения технического обследования при капитальном ремонте объектов строительства. Улучшение жилищного фонда РФ является актуальной повесткой политики, проводимой государством. Это предполагает строительство нового жилищного фонда, а также обновление устаревшего, т.е. модернизацию, реконструкцию или капитальный ремонт зданий. Важным этапом в определении объема, срока и направления работ по капитальному ремонту является техническое обследование объекта, вследствие чего оценка эффективности обследования технического состояния зданий выступает перспективным направлением улучшения методики проведения капитального ремонта. This article describes the reasons for the need to improve the efficiency of technical inspection during major repairs of construction facilities. The improvement of the housing stock of the Russian Federation is an urgent agenda of the policy pursued by the state. This involves the construction of a new housing stock, as well as the renewal of an outdated one, so modernization, reconstruction or major repairs of buildings. An important stage in determining the scope, duration and direction of work on capital repairs is a technical inspection of the object, as a result of which the assessment of the effectiveness of the survey of the technical condition of buildings is a promising direction for improving the methodology of capital repairs.

The article presents the conceptual and methodological foundations for evaluating the effectiveness of housing regeneration projects in the context of contemporary urban and socio-economic transformations. The study focuses on the systematization and analysis of investment planning tools that enable evidence-based decision-making regarding the reconstruction of outdated housing stock, ensuring economic viability, technical efficiency, and social justification. The object of the research is the processes of residential stock reconstruction, while the subject is the set of investment design tools, including financial, analytical, techno-economic, spatial, and institutional approaches. The methodology integrates life cycle cost analysis (LCCA), financial modeling (NPV, IRR, DPP), energy modeling, SWOT analysis, GIS technologies, and value engineering. The paper proposes a comprehensive concept for the reconstruction of a deteriorated urban district, incorporating principles of inclusiveness, sustainability, and community engagement. A case study of BIM-based reconstruction of a five-story residential building demonstrates reduced construction time and material waste. A multi-criteria evaluation framework is presented, covering economic, environmental, social, and urban planning indicators. The findings can inform municipal regeneration programs, investment project assessments in development, and policymaking for post-war recovery. The study substantiates the need for a holistic approach that integrates economic feasibility, technical implementability, and social relevance in reconstruction projects. Key investment planning tools are identified to support balanced and sustainable housing modernization decisions.

An important share of the social housing stock in Flanders is outdated, resulting in a high energy demand for heating. Energetic renovation is hence urgently needed. The current economic model, however, does not stimulate this due to a split incentive. As energy prices have increased in the past few years, more tenants have suffered from energy poverty. This paper investigates three alternative economic models aiming at increasing the incentive for renovation, while financially protecting the tenants. In the first alternative model, tenants are protected by inducing a maximal cost of living based on their income. In the second alternative model, a fixed rent is applied, while the third alternative model proposes to share the cost benefits of the energetic renovation. The paper analyses the alternative models by assessing the costs and income for social housing companies and the costs for tenants for an unrenovated building, a renovation with a low investment cost and a deep energetic renovation. The results show that limiting the cost of living based on income seems most interesting as this is beneficial for the tenants and gives an incentive for the social housing companies to renovate. To reduce energy poverty, a deep renovation is necessary.

Abstract. The article considers the target priorities and formalized indicators of the implementation of the concept of the life cycle of construction objects during project financing of the implementation of housing renewal programs. The restoration of the housing stock is an important task in the context of ensuring sustainable urban development, efficient use of resources and improving the quality of life of the population. The growing need for the reconstruction of damaged and outdated housing requires the development of a systematic approach that would take into account all stages of the life cycle of housing programs from planning and design to operation and renovation. The concept of the life cycle of construction objects during project financing of the implementation of housing restoration programs is based on an integrated approach to managing the processes of reconstruction, modernization and construction of new housing, taking into account environmental, economic and social aspects. The main target priorities of housing restoration are determined, including ensuring the accessibility of housing for socially vulnerable groups of the population, increasing the energy efficiency of buildings, minimizing the negative impact on the environment and using modern construction technologies that contribute to the durability of the housing stock. Particular attention is paid to the development of formalized indicators for assessing the effectiveness of the implementation of housing restoration programs. The proposed indicators cover both the technical characteristics of buildings (level of energy efficiency, compliance with modern building codes, use of environmentally friendly materials) and socio-economic criteria (accessibility of housing, level of satisfaction of residents, level of integration of renovated housing facilities into urban infrastructure). Modern international practices in the implementation of housing programs are considered, which provide for a comprehensive approach to the design and implementation of housing policy. It was determined that in the conditions of Ukraine, the effective implementation of the concept of the life cycle of housing renovation programs requires improving the legislative framework, attracting investments, developing public-private partnerships, as well as introducing public control mechanisms. The scientific approaches and methods of analyzing the life cycle of construction objects during project financing of housing renovation programs proposed in the article allow optimizing the processes of housing reconstruction, improving the quality of construction, and creating an effective system for monitoring housing programs. The conclusions of the study can be used by state authorities, developers, investors, and experts in the field of urban planning to develop strategies for the development of housing construction and renovation. The study substantiates the need to transition to the concept of the life cycle in housing renovation as a key approach to ensuring sustainable urban development and improving the quality of life of citizens.

Abstract Positive Energy Districts (PED) have surged in prominence amidst Europe’s ambitious climate targets and the fluctuating energy landscape, influenced notably by geopolitical uncertainties such as the Ukraine conflict. Aligned with European and national priorities, which emphasises the renovation of its housing stock as part of the Renovation Wave initiative, PED emerges as a viable solution for urban areas. However, the challenge remains in how PED can address energy poverty, promote renewable energy, and align with renovation priorities of the outdated infrastructures (including buildings). The KINETIC project addresses PED transformation challenges at the neighbourhood level by deploying an intensive co-creation process for identifying key transformation directions. The Romanian DEMO area (along with DK and IT study cases) is the Drumul Taberei neighbourhood in Bucharest Sector 6, a dense neighbourhood composed of multifamily buildings realised in the 60s and 70s during the communist regime. The area needs comprehensive regeneration and renewal initiatives. If proven feasible through mathematical modelled data paired with strategic integrated planning, the outcomes of KINETIC for the Drumul Taberei neighbourhood will be able to revolutionise the future rehabilitation project of collective housing districts in Romania, and beyond. The paper will outline PED transformation pathways stemming from initial co-design workshops involving local stakeholders. It will also explore collaboration and investment prospects between municipality-housing associations and NGOs. Given the privately owned housing estate and state-funded rehabilitation, the project will assess innovative models to meet PED’s ambitious goals.

Abstract The disposal of construction waste, the amount of which is constantly growing due to hostilities in Ukraine and outdated housing stock that has lost its consumer properties is an acute problem. The study proposes adopting the circular economy and the principles of improving the security and environmental situation in Ukraine to restore the country’s potential. The article analyzes the main stages and processes of construction waste disposal, taking into account their fractional recycling and reuse in the reconstruction of settlements, which is based on the rational use of resources and innovations and will reduce the cost of restoring destroyed settlement areas. Efficient construction is possible only if environmental and economic indicators are improved, the level of safety and manufacturability are improved. A methodology for assessing the effectiveness of future construction has been developed and recommendations for its improvement have been given.

Solving the issues of complex reconstruction of quarters (microdistricts) of the outdated housing stock on ecological grounds is an urgent task of our time. This article will help to consider the problem of reconstruction of the territories of blocks of mass residential construction in 1960-70 in the cities of Ukraine in accordance with modern regulatory and environmental requirements. The experience of designing and implementing projects of complex reconstruction of blocks of mass residential construction in large and medium-sized cities of Ukraine is studied, in relation to the determination of ecological conditions of urban planning.
 The analysis of regulatory and environmental support and project urban planning documentation of the process of reconstruction of blocks of blocks of mass housing construction in the 1960s and 1970s shows the existence of a developed legal framework for the reconstruction of territories built up during this period: the Law of Ukraine "On the comprehensive reconstruction of blocks (microdistricts) of outdated housing stock "; Draft Law of Ukraine "On comprehensive reconstruction of quarters (microdistricts) of outdated housing stock"; Law of Ukraine "On Environmental Impact Assessment"; Law of Ukraine "On the basic principles (strategy) of the state environmental policy of Ukraine for the period until 2030"; Law of Ukraine "On Ensuring Sanitary and Epidemic Welfare of the Population"; DSP 173-96 "State Sanitary Rules for Planning and Development of Settlements"; State building regulations DBN B.2.2-12:2019 "Planning and development of the territory"; State construction regulations DBN A.2.2-1-2003. "Composition and content of environmental impact assessment materials (EIA) in the design and construction of enterprises, buildings and structures", DSTU-N B.B.1.1-10:2010. "Instructions on the implementation of the sections "Protection of the natural environment" in the urban planning documentation. Composition and requirements; DBN V.1.1-31:2013 "Protection of territories, buildings and structures from noise".
 The European experience of complex reconstruction of neighborhoods (microdistricts) of an outdated housing stock is based on two interrelated types of restoration activities: firstly, reconstruction of individual buildings; secondly – reconstruction of individual quarters (microdistricts). The practice of the reconstruction of neighborhoods is determined, first of all, by their location in the city structure, the type of planning organization, and the provision of elements of social infrastructure. The analysis of design materials and literary sources showed the existence of three groups of alternative approaches to the reconstruction of the residential environment — restoration, reconstruction, demolition. Practice shows that there are actually three alternative options for carrying out reconstruction measures on the territory of the microdistrict, the expediency of which is determined by the goals set, the nature and scale of the measures, methods and amounts of their financing.
 Volumes, methods and technical means of reconstruction of areas of mass residential construction are largely determined by such factors as urban planning conditions - the peculiarities of the location of the area in the planning structure of the city, and the ecological state of the territory. Among the environmental requirements that have the greatest impact on the choice of building reconstruction measures, noise and pollution from transport highways, as well as the conditions of insolation and aeration of the territory stand out.
 The ecological conditions of the territories of residential construction in 1960-70 are characterized by an increased level of noise in residential areas, the level of gas pollution from district and city-wide highways, with a normative state of insolation and a low level of aeration of the territory. This trend is likely to continue in the future, which will lead to a further increase in the level of noise and pollution in residential areas due to the increase in traffic flows on the streets due to the increase in traffic lanes. That with a low level of aeration will contribute to an increase in the level of gasification of the territory. This will make it necessary to provide additional measures (including architectural and planning) to improve the noise regime and air cleanliness when choosing reconstructive means. In addition, the prospective level of insolation of the territory will have a significant impact on the number of floors of the building being reconstructed (the choice of which will be largely determined by the current regulatory requirements for the level of insolation of residential buildings and territories). In turn, the level of aeration for the future is determined by the architectural and planning organization of the building (alternation of open and closed spaces in residential buildings).
 Spatial organization of the functional and planning elements of the microdistrict must ensure compliance with norms, including in terms of providing the population with favorable conditions of the territory from a complex of climatic factors - regulatory insolation of the territory and buildings; acceptable noise levels for buildings and areas of residential development. Spatial organization of the functional and planning elements of the microdistrict includes the organization of buildings - placement and orientation on the territory of residential and public buildings, that is, the entire set of volumetric buildings, as well as linear (driveways, footpaths), planar buildings (various playgrounds, green spaces, etc.).

This study analyzes the consumption of hot water in multi-apartment residential buildings located in different cities of Ukraine. Data on standardized and actual hot water consumption for residential buildings and apartments were collected and analyzed. The main objective of the study was to investigate and compare the standardized and actual consumption of hot water and heat energy in multi-story residential buildings. To accomplish this task, data from apartment water meters on hot water consumption for residential buildings and apartments were collected. After processing the collected information, the necessary calculations were made to determine the savings with the subsequent consumption of hot water of actual and standardized consumption for an apartment with four residents. This allowed us to establish the actual consumption of heat and hot water and determine the efficiency of hot water supply systems. Previously, due to the lack of individual meters, the total standardized and actual consumption of cold and hot water per person was compared by calculation. Today, the design of hot water systems is still based on outdated standards adopted in the 1990s. As a result, the current standards are overestimated and require immediate objective review and recalculation. Approximate readings of apartment meters should be used, not the average values that have been used for decades. The prices per 1 m3 of hot water per resident for apartments without heated towel rails were taken into account when building the graphs. As of 2021, the cost was UAH 86.32. As a result of the calculations, it was found that the savings in hot water consumption, compared to actual and standardized consumption, for the apartment in question with four residents for the period June – December 2021 is 42.2 m3, and in value terms, this amounts to UAH 3642.70.

Reducing the energy demand in the housing sector is one of the current topics in the EU. Slovakia, as an EU member, is also trying to lower the dependence on the import of energy raw materials used for heating. While new buildings reflect the technical requirements of applicable standards, buildings built in the past usually do not meet any technical requirements. The basis of efficient operation is not only satisfactory building structures, but also technological equipment of the buildings. The heating system is often in an unsatisfactory state, and an outdated heat source disproportionately reduces the overall efficiency of energy conversion. Complex restoration is, therefore, in most cases, necessary and often financially costly. The presented article analyzes the current state of housing stock in the example of a selected city district. In the next step, the current state and energy consumption are identified. Subsequently, needed retrofit measures are identified and the possibilities of renewal are analyzed. The use of RES in buildings is proposed, while selected city districts could create an independent energy community. The main goal of this article is to show the necessary steps to achieve efficient energy use and, using the example of a Zilina City district, show the possible benefits of such community creation in Slovakia. The article also discusses the correlation between the number of sunny days and possible energy generation in winter months.

Gentrification as an urban policy has advantages and disadvantages that need to be taken into account to ensure its effectiveness. An analysis of gentrification studies shows that they are interdisciplinary. They relate to spatial development and urbanism, economic and social spheres, as well as culture. Because of this, the concept of gentrification has different interpretations, which can be summarized as a transformation of urban space that can include a partial or complete change in the functions of the territory and is characterized by an increase in the value of residential and commercial real estate and the displacement of lower-income residents. Such displacement, which can be direct, indirect and cultural, is recognized as one of its most negative effects. Since the Ukrainian legislation does not contain the concept of gentrification and relevant policies, the organizational and legal principles of the policy on renovation of outdated and destroyed housing stock are used to substantiate approaches to its formation in the context of post-war recovery. The implementation of the idea of mass reconstruction of residential neighborhoods, as well as the comprehensive restoration of destroyed buildings, was hampered by policy gaps. These include procedures, conditions, and criteria for implementing residential reconstruction and renovation projects, as well as fair conditions for resettlement or compensation to residents. In addition to the relevant approaches to improving the legal framework, the author also propose those aimed at preventing displacement. Thus, it has been established that such a policy should be systematic and based on the following goals: avoidance of displacement by tenants and homeowners; development of new and preservation of the existing stock of affordable housing; prohibition of large-scale luxury development; decision-making on urban planning and land use based on inclusiveness and equity; special support for vulnerable categories.

The research presents approaches to the complex refurbishment of multi-family buildings constructed during the mass construction period in Serbia. These buildings comprise a quarter of Serbia’s housing stock, are characterized by high energy consumption for heating, and have major spatial and organizational deficiencies: small apartments, outdated and inflexible spatial organization, and the absence of elevators. The subject of the research is the application of the methodology of complex and integrated refurbishment by adding volume to existing multi-family buildings with the goal of achieving higher energy efficiency while remodeling and modernizing residential units and improving vertical building communications. The research presents a comparative analysis of the energy performance and spatial organization of the existing building and three variants of building improvement: Case 1 (without volumetric additions), Case 2 (with volumetric additions—relocating vertical communications), and Case 3 (with volumetric additions—expanding usable living space). Based on the Knaufterm simulations, the energy savings for heating energy consumption compared to the existing state are 81% in Case 1, 89% in Case 2, and 87% in Case 3. Based on predefined parameters of spatial comfort, a comparative analysis of spatial comfort in residential units was conducted for all three improvement variants.

The article addresses solving the issue of the possibility of preserving reconstructed premises or carrying out proposed reconstruction works in the course of in the course of construction forensic investigation. The significance of the problem attributes to the volume of the stock of residential and public buildings which are older than 40 years (according to statistics, the housing stock of Russia in 1980 was 1,861 million m2 , in 2015 – 3,581 million m2 ), outdated layouts of premises, and the evolved consumers’ idea of comfort.A construction expert’s task is to determine if there is a possibility to change the layout, the function of premises to improve living conditions, or reconstruction poses a threat to the state of the object, its further proper operation, the integrity of the installed engineering systems, the appearance of the facades, nearby buildings and structures. Using regulatory material, the authors consider the criteria for solving this problem, present the procedure for conducting studies of buildings or structures, building materials, structures, and relevant documents in this line of forensic construction examination. Finally, the article gives specific examples of the redevelopment of apartments, a proposed reconstruction of the kindergarten premises.It is noted that the reliability of experts’ opinions is based on a comprehensive, unbiased analysis of all the technical and economic characteristics of construction objects, verification of documentation, an inspection of structures for compliance with the requirements of federal laws, rules, and regulations.

This article examines the development stages and current challenges faced by the Mashynobudivnykiv workers’ settlement in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Initially formed during the Soviet industrialization era, this settlement was built around large manufacturing plants and factories, serving as housing for the workers of these industrial enterprises. Over the decades, the settlement has witnessed significant architectural, social, and infrastructural transformations, but it now faces a critical point due to the decline of its industrial base and aging housing stock. The settlement’s original purpose has largely diminished, leading to a range of socio-economic issues, including unemployment, deteriorating living conditions, and inadequate infrastructure. The article focuses on the architectural heritage of the settlement, analyzing its historical significance as an example of Soviet industrial housing development. The research outlines the specific challenges related to the modernization of the settlement’s infrastructure, particularly the need to balance preserving its architectural character with the demands of modern urban living. Attention is given to issues of energy inefficiency, lack of green spaces, and the broader socio-economic decline impacting the area. In addition to a historical audit of the settlement, the article explores urban planning strategies that could help revitalize Mashynobudivnykiv settlement. The author discusses potential avenues for redevelopment, including renovation of existing buildings, introducing new functional uses for outdated industrial areas, and improving local infrastructure to enhance the quality of life for residents. The integration of modern sustainable development practices, such as energy-efficient housing and green urban planning, is considered critical to the settlement’s long-term viability within the larger context of Kharkiv’s urban growth. The article concludes by proposing comprehensive renovation and revitalization strategies that could rejuvenate the Mashynobudivnykiv settlement while maintaining its historical value. The proposed urban interventions focus on improving living conditions, promoting social cohesion, and fostering economic opportunities, which are essential for the sustainable development of this historic workers’ district. Through these efforts, the Mashynobudivnykiv settlement could serve as a model for the successful transformation of similar post-industrial urban areas in Ukraine. Keywords: Soviet industrialization, architectural heritage, renovation, revitalization, sustainable urbanism.

Community and household vulnerability to natural hazards, e.g., earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods, is a concern that transcends geographic and economic boundaries. Despite the abundance of research in this field, most existing methods remain inefficient and face the challenge of data scarcity. By formulating and investigating the correlation between the household vulnerability and street view images of buildings, this research seeks to bridge the knowledge gap to enable an efficient assessment. Especially in developing countries, the widespread prevalence of outdated or inadequately enforced building codes poses a significant challenge. Consequently, a considerable portion of the housing stock in these regions fails to meet acceptable standards, rendering it highly vulnerable to natural hazards and climate-related events. Evaluating housing quality is crucial for informing public policies and private investments. However, current assessment methods are often time-consuming and costly. To address this issue, we propose the development of a rapid and reliable evaluation framework that is also cost-efficient. The framework employs a low-cost street view imagery procedure combined with deep learning to automatically extract building information to assist in identifying housing characteristics. We then test its potential for scalability and higher-level reliability. More importantly, we aim to quantify household vulnerability based on street view imagery. Household vulnerability is typically assessed through traditional means like surveys or census data; however, these sources can be costly and may not reflect the most current information. We have developed an index that effectively captures the most detailed data available at both the housing unit and household level. This index serves as a comprehensive representation, enabling us to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing our model’s predictions to estimate vulnerability conditions in specific areas while optimizing costs. Through latent class clustering and ANOVA analysis, we have discovered a strong correlation between the predictions derived from the images and the household vulnerability index. This correlation will potentially enable large-scale, cost-effective evaluation of household vulnerability using only street view images.

Modern approaches to the implementation of complex programs for the reconstruction of residential buildings are analyzed. The need to take drastic decisions and measures aimed at improving the current situation with the technical condition of residential buildings in the country has been proven. The advantages of reconstruction of buildings over new construction are given, since it is expedient to organize the reconstruction of the housing stock through the demolition of old objects and new construction in cases where the high level of physical wear and tear of residential buildings does not allow the effective use of capital investments of owners and funds of state support for reconstruction works. In addition, the demolition of old buildings, design, preparation of the territory and the construction itself significantly increase the time of commissioning and the cost of the future building. The technical and economic indicators (TEP) during the construction of buildings and structures, which are calculated for comparing constructive and volume-planning solutions and choosing the most economically advantageous of them, are considered. The system of indicators is analyzed, which is based on the determination of the relative technical and economic efficiency of the reconstruction of a residential building and reflects the ratio of the entire set of costs associated with the reconstruction and the results achieved during the construction, installation and repair works. The full volume of costs was analyzed when calculating the volume of capital investments aimed at improving living conditions (for example, improving the thermal insulation of enclosing structures, installing additional engineering communications and replacing outdated equipment, re-planning of apartments), costs associated with increasing the living space by increasing storeys of the building, as well as the costs of relocating residents, observing the norms of providing living space and providing the necessary social infrastructure. To determine the effectiveness of a specific residential building reconstruction project, costs and revenues from the implementation of the project are planned. By income, we mean proceeds from the sale of housing, renting out premises for offices and other types of commercial activities, as well as utility payments.

Problem statement. This paper reviews methods for assessing the efficiency of residential building reconstruction in Ukraine and Europe. Many existing buildings are outdated or damaged, and their rehabilitation is essential for ensuring safety, energy efficiency, and improved living conditions. In Ukraine, a large portion of the housing stock no longer meets modern standards of comfort, energy efficiency, or safety – an issue intensified by damages resulting from the aggression of the Russian Federation. Traditional assessment methods tend to focus solely on economic factors, such as investment costs and operational savings, while often overlooking the social and environmental impacts of reconstruction. This narrow focus can lead to outcomes that fail to improve overall urban living conditions. By integrating economic, social, and environmental criteria, the study provides a balanced evaluation framework that supports sustainable urban development. The purpose of the study. The objective of this study is to review various methodologies for evaluating the efficiency of residential building reconstruction. The research expands the concept of reconstruction to include renovation, retrofit, and refurbishment measures. It emphasizes the role of modern monitoring technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which provide real-time data on factors like noise, vibration, and air quality. Such an approach enables timely adjustments that reduce negative effects on residents and the environment, ensuring that reconstruction projects are both economically sound and socially responsible. Conclusions. The findings demonstrate that a comprehensive evaluation framework − one that integrates economic, social, and environmental aspects −is essential for effective residential building reconstruction. By balancing cost efficiency with improvements in quality of life and ecological protection, reconstruction projects can significantly enhance urban resilience and sustainability. This holistic approach ultimately contributes to safer, healthier, and more vibrant urban communities.

The modern experience of external equipment of residential and public buildings isconsidered and analyzed. It was determined that during the reconstruction and restoration of the housing stock, a significant percentage of which consist of large-panel houses that belong to the outdated housing stock, modern types of external equipment will be usedcomprehensively for entire blocks and neighborhoods.
 This determines the use of a wide palette of facing materials, diverse in color and texture, which will help, along with other means, to avoid monotony, grayness and monotony of the building, which is subject to reconstruction and restoration.
 The conditionally divided into two main groups: plaster facades and attachments. The plaster facades still have the conditional name "wet facades" as in the processes used in the production of facade work, water is present. At the same time, the hinged systems were called "dry facades" The equipment of plaster solutions is used on the outer surfaces of walls of prefabricated or monolithic concrete of different species, as well as from natural or artificial stone (bricks, stone blocks, etc.). Like any technology or design, the plaster type facade insulation system has its restrictions: seasonality of execution, due to the fact that this technology involves wet processes that can be performed only in warm weather (up to +5 ° C); It is possible to perform part of the work (gluing of the insulation, reinforcement) in the winter with the use of thermal curtains, but the ocular treatment, in all cases, should be carried out in the warm season. The facades of buildings and structures, which are finished with modern materials, are conditionally divided into two main groups: plaster facades and attachments. The plaster facades still have the conditional name "wet facades" as in the processes used in the production of facade work, water is present. At the same time, the hinged systems were called "dry facades" [2]. The equipment of plaster solutions is used on the outer surfaces of walls of prefabricated or monolithic concrete of different species, as well as from natural or artificial stone (bricks, stone blocks, etc.). Like any technology or design, the plaster type facade insulation system has its restrictions: seasonality of execution, due to the fact that this technology involves wet processes that can be performed only in warm weather (up to +5 ° C); It is possible to perform part of the work (gluing of the insulation, reinforcement) in the winter with the use of thermal curtains, but the ocular treatment, in all cases, should be carried out in the warm season. As a result of the analysis of modern types of outdoor equipment the most effective materials have been determined, which have been tested by practice in various operating conditions and are recommended for solving future tasks. In the course of the research, it was determined that the most effective type of external equipment of buildings are hinged facade systems, which were called "dry facades".

The article provides the assessment of the quality of life of the population resident at the radioactively contaminated areas of the Yemilchyno, Malyn, Korosten, Narodychi, Olevsk, Luhyny and Ovruch raions of the Zhytomyr region. The basis for the study and assessment of the quality of life of the population of radioactively contaminated administrative raions of the Zhytomyr region were the statistical data of the Main Directorate of Statistics in Zhytomyr Region, the Health Directorate of Zhytomyr Region State Administration, as well as our own results of a sociological survey. It was established that for the period between 2002 and 2018, the population of radioactively contaminated areas decreased by 24.7% (maximum values are representative of Malyn and Korosten raions). Natural population decline rates in rural settlements exceeded the corresponding values for urban settlements from 1.4 (Malyn raion) to 13 times (Olevsk raion). There is also the aging of the population, the largest share of the elderly (65 years old and older) - 21.7% and 20.8% are resident in the Korosten and Narodychi raions. The values of birth rates (7.5 (Ovruch raion) - 13 (Olevsk raion) per 1,000 of present population) did not have a positive effect on the demographic situation as a whole because of the high mortality rate exceeding the birth rate by 1.1 (Olevsk raion) - 2.9 times (Malyn raion). The main causes of death are diseases of the circulatory system (75.4%), cancer (10%) and external factors (7.3%). It was noted that there is a deterioration of the health of the local population; they pointed out that diseases related to the ChNPP accident include cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the circulatory, nervous and endocrine systems, diseases of bones and joints, headaches. The living conditions of the population resident at the radioactively contaminated areas of Zhytomyr region are unsatisfactory, which is confirmed by both objective data and subjective assessments of the residents themselves. The housing stock is outdated and it needs renovation. In order to improve the quality of life of the population of radioactively contaminated territories in the Zhytomyr region, it is necessary to reform the state policy, to provide financial support for their revival and creation of normal living and reproduction conditions for the population.

Purpose. This paper aims to analyze and classify construction and demolition waste. It is necessary that this classification not only reflects statistical data on waste generation, but also serves as an information basis for the integrated waste management system (IWMS). The main task of this system is to maximize the involvement of waste in economic recycling and to objectively reflect the technological capabilities of its processing. This is extremely important in the context of the implementation of European waste management principles and the implementation of the National Waste Management Strategy in Ukraine until 2030. Methodology. The article considers the problems of construction waste management within the framework of the National Waste Management Strategy in Ukraine until 2030, which provides for the implementation of measures and principles of waste management, including construction waste. The author analyzes the management problems in the field of construction and demolition waste, which substantiates the need to classify construction waste with the simultaneous harmonization of processing methods and technologies. Construction activities are inextricably linked to the management of various types of resources, among which secondary materials play a key role in the implementation of construction processes. The ability to effectively manage the flows of these secondary resources is critical to ensuring the sustainability and efficiency of construction production. In this context, the study of the importance of managing the flows of secondary resources becomes an integral part of strategies for optimizing construction processes. Findings. Construction waste from the demolition of buildings and structures is unique due to its size and the need to prepare it for primary crushing. This is especially true in the context of implementing the concept of renovation of the outdated housing stock. Various static and dynamic methods of destruction of building materials, in particular, impact and vibration, have been investigated, with dynamic methods being characterized by lower energy consumption. Originality. The work reflects the formation of theoretical and methodological directions based on the use of recycled materials in construction, as well as a comparative characterization of various methods of destruction of building materials. Practical value. The possibilities of recycling construction waste, in particular, their maximum involvement in recycling, which meets the goals of the Strategy of Ukraine, provides 50% of waste recycling.

The article examines the state of organizational and technological solutions in the field of installation, operation and thermal modernization of roofing. An analysis of modern approaches to their organization and technologies was carried out, the effectiveness of existing methods of operation and maintenance was assessed. The analysis of the current state of the regulatory and legal framework for the implementation of thermal modernization of the outdated housing stock is presented. Most state programs could not be fully implemented due to the lack of state financial support. An analysis of existing roofing materials and insulation was made, their advantages, disadvantages and service life were assessed. Key problems and shortcomings in the implementation of thermal modernization measures were identified, as well as the impact of organizational and technological factors on the quality and durability of roofing was studied. Analytical, experimental, economic and digital methods were used to study the state of organizational and technological solutions in the field of installation, operation and thermal modernization of roofing. Based on the obtained results, ways to optimize technological processes and organizational solutions to improve the efficiency of thermal modernization are proposed. To assess organizational and technological solutions in the field of roofing, the following criteria are proposed: heat losses, environmental efficiency, economic efficiency, level of roof wear, energy saving. These criteria are used in modeling based on the theory of fuzzy processes of decision-making in the field of roofing organizational and technological solutions. The practical value of this article lies in the possibility of using the obtained results to improve the organizational and technological processes of thermal modernization of roofing for: increasing the efficiency of construction processes – the proposed recommendations can help optimize roofing installation and maintenance technologies, which will reduce time and resource costs; increasing the durability of roofing – the analysis of factors affecting their reliability will help develop strategies to minimize the risks of premature wear; energy efficiency and resource saving – the research results can be used to implement more efficient thermal modernization solutions, which will contribute to reducing the energy consumption of buildings; improvement of the regulatory and methodological framework – the obtained conclusions can be applied in the development of new regulatory documents and improvement of existing standards in the field of construction and roofing operation; application in design and reconstruction – construction companies, architects and engineers can use the research results to select optimal materials and technologies during construction and modernization of buildings.

The object of research is the «boiler plant – heat consumers – environment» system, which is caused, in particular, by high fuel consumption by city boilers serving high-rise residential buildings, including a significant number of buildings of an outdated housing stock, which are characterized by a low level of energy saving. One of the most problematic areas is the increase in emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere by boiler units and other power plants, especially during the heating season. In the course of the research, an assessment and analysis of the level of pollution of the city's atmosphere by emissions from boiler plants, taking into account background pollution, and an analysis of the normative calculation method for determining emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere from power plants were used. The theoretical justification of the method of operational determination of current emissions of urban boiler houses and indicators of their energy-ecological efficiency based on current daily fuel consumption recorded during the entire heating season is also given, with a simultaneous assessment of the energy efficiency of fuel use and the degree of ecological hazard of emissions. The essence of the method is to use the indicator (energy-ecological index) introduced by the authors – K. This indicator simultaneously characterizes the multiplicity of exceeding both the current fuel consumption and the corresponding current emissions of pollutants by the boiler room, relative to their reference (reference) values determined once at the beginning of the heating season at an ambient air temperature of about 8 °C. The proposed temperature method for determining the K index before and after the implementation of both resource-saving technologies and technologies for protecting the atmosphere from emissions in the «boiler plant – heat consumers – environment» system allows to evaluate their effectiveness by the level of reduction in the value of the index, compared to its previous value, that is, to implementation obtained under similar conditions. It has been proven that in order to obtain a tangible energy-ecological effect at the level of a large city from its technology of warming the walls of buildings, its mass centralized implementation is necessary, both for individual high-rise buildings and on the scale of existing residential neighborhoods. For the reconstruction of existing facades, it is proposed to use current industrial technologies for warming the walls of buildings, which are used in new buildings, which are based on the use of mineral wool, in particular ISOVER-plaster. Insulation of walls with ISOVER-plaster will have the following advantages compared to foam plastic: thermal conductivity coefficient – 0.034 W/m·K, against 0.048 W/m·K for foam plastic. When using plates with a thickness of 100 mm ISOVER-plaster is expected to reduce heat loss to approximately 2.8 %, against 2.17 % obtained for foam plastic, which will provide a correspondingly greater energy and ecological effect.

Materials, construction technology, layout of residential premises, and, as a consequence, the concept of comfort in the minds of citizens have changed significantly over the past thirty years. The predominant share of the housing stock has remained the same: in Russia there are a large number of old buildings with layouts that are irrelevant for today - according to the analysis of the Institute of Economic Forecasting of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in 2022 in Russia as a whole there were 56.7 million square meters of housing in outdated apartment buildings, and by 2030 the increase in outdated housing will be 54 million square meters, by 2040 - 216 million m2. For comfortable housing, people are forced to organize redevelopment and (or) reconstruction. The idea of this work is to develop a mechanism for the implementation of standard solutions for redevelopment and (or) reconstruction in St. Petersburg. Such solutions can be developed for serial houses of the Soviet period, which will simplify and reduce the cost of the mechanism for coordinating work, as well as protect the housing stock of St. Petersburg from destruction caused by unauthorized redevelopment.

Throughout Europe, large housing estates dating from the socialist era are an important part of the housing stock and cultural life, and in some cities the apartment buildings within them house more than half of the residents. There have been many attempts to regenerate large housing estates, since they were built with cheap materials, using contemporaneous (and outdated) planning principles, and were projected to be used for only one generation as ‘temporary housing’ until more permanent solutions could be established. Consequently, many large housing estates have survived beyond their useful life and are in need of renovation. This article moves beyond individual and disconnected rehabilitation projects and renewal strategies and conceptualises a larger transformation of large housing estates in Central and Eastern Europe based on sustainability principles. We envision a comprehensive ‘green transformation’ that would transform large housing estates into ‘eco-villages’ that not only address current challenges but also propel large housing estates into their next lives as desirable residential space. The image of housing estates can be vastly improved if the built environments and landscapes are transformed so that housing estates possess green infrastructure and other features of sustainable design.

The presented study demonstrates the advanced developments in the application of coffee food waste. One of the main theoretical sources was the work of a group of Australian scientists who achieved outstanding results in the field of modernization of construction materials — in particular, concrete, which was successfully enriched with coal obtained from spent coffee grounds. The foreign scientists managed to increase the strength of concrete by ~30 %, as well as reduce the amount of concrete needed in construction work. It is also implied that the share of sand in construction works will also be reduced. Our study presents the prospects for the application of this innovative approach to the manufacture of construction materials in the context of the Russian real estate market, which is experiencing an unprecedented boom and price growth for objects of various directions. The described price growth is caused, among other things, by the high cost of manufacturing and transportation of building materials. The experience of Australian scientists and the demand of the domestic real estate market for innovative solutions designed to develop a high-quality and more affordable alternative to conventional building materials can not only reduce the cost of construction work, but also reduce the negative impact on the ecology of Russia. There was also given the justification of the relevance of integration of innovative methods of construction materials manufacturing into the domestic construction industry, as there is an urgent need for renovation of outdated housing stock, confirmed by static data and scientific research of domestic scientists. The information presented in the article can be used as part of innovative initiatives in the field of processing organic food waste in Russia.

Financial and Economic Datasets in AI Training: Unveiling the Power of Data-driven Insights The rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have transformed various industries, with finance and economics being no exception. The integration of financial and economic datasets in AI training has opened up a plethora of opportunities to gain valuable insights, optimize decision-making processes, and uncover hidden patterns. This article delves into the diverse uses of financial and economic datasets in AI training and their pivotal role in reshaping the financial landscape. The integration of financial and economic datasets in AI training has unleashed a new era of data-driven insights in the financial industry. From predictive analytics for financial markets to personalized financial services, the uses of AI in this domain are diverse and far-reaching. As AI technologies continue to evolve, so will the applications of financial and economic datasets, further revolutionizing the way financial institutions operate and paving the way for a more efficient and data-driven financial ecosystem. However, it's important to note that with great power comes great responsibility, and ensuring data privacy and ethical use of AI will remain paramount in the journey towards a data-driven financial future. While financial and economic datasets offer invaluable insights and opportunities for data-driven decision-making, they also come with challenges related to data quality, privacy, bias, and interpretation. Overcoming these obstacles and utilizing datasets effectively can significantly enhance financial analysis, economic forecasting, and risk management processes. Pros of Datasets in Financial and Economic Data:     Rich Information: Datasets provide a vast array of financial and economic data, offering valuable insights into market trends, consumer behavior, and economic indicators.     Data-Driven Decision Making: Access to datasets empowers businesses and policymakers to make well-informed decisions based on concrete data analysis, reducing the risk of subjective judgments.     Market Analysis: Financial datasets enable investors to conduct comprehensive market analysis, identify opportunities, and assess potential risks.     Predictive Analytics: Datasets can be used to build predictive models, allowing businesses to anticipate market movements and optimize investment strategies.     Historical Trends: Economic datasets capture historical trends, helping researchers and analysts understand long-term patterns and cyclical behavior.     Financial Reporting: Datasets facilitate accurate and timely financial reporting for businesses, investors, and regulatory authorities.     Efficiency Gains: The use of datasets in financial institutions streamlines processes, improving operational efficiency and reducing manual errors.     Economic Forecasting: Economic datasets aid in forecasting future economic conditions, supporting governments and central banks in policy-making.     Risk Management: Datasets assist in evaluating and managing financial risks, contributing to enhanced risk assessment practices.     High Volume Data: Financial datasets often encompass large volumes of data, enabling robust statistical analysis and machine learning algorithms. Cons of Datasets in Financial and Economic Data:     Data Quality Issues: Poor data quality, such as inaccuracies, missing values, or inconsistencies, can lead to erroneous conclusions and flawed decisions.     Data Privacy Concerns: Financial datasets may contain sensitive information, raising concerns about data privacy and potential breaches.     Bias and Sampling Errors: Datasets can suffer from sampling bias, skewing analysis results and introducing inaccuracies.     Data Overload: Large datasets can overwhelm analysts and lead to difficulties in extracting relevant information.     Cost of Data Acquisition: Acquiring comprehensive and high-quality financial datasets can be expensive, especially for smaller organizations or individual researchers.     Data Accessibility: Some essential financial data may be restricted or unavailable due to confidentiality, exclusivity, or regulatory reasons.     Data Cleaning and Preprocessing: Preparing and cleaning datasets for analysis can be time-consuming and require specific expertise.     Outdated Data: Economic datasets might not reflect real-time conditions, potentially limiting their relevance for time-sensitive decisions.     Overfitting and Model Complexity: Using extensive datasets for complex models may result in overfitting, where models perform well on training data but poorly on new data.     Interpretation Challenges: Interpreting complex financial datasets can be challenging, leading to potential misinterpretations and misguided actions. Economic and financial datasets have a far-reaching impact across various sectors and professions. From shaping economic policies to guiding investment decisions and facilitating academic research, these datasets play a critical role in modern economies and societies. The increasing availability and accessibility of such datasets contribute to informed decision-making and foster innovation in the financial and economic realms. Economic and financial datasets are essential tools that serve various stakeholders across the business, financial, and public sectors. These datasets contain valuable information on economic indicators, financial markets, consumer behavior, and macroeconomic trends, making them indispensable for decision-making, research, and analysis. Below, we'll explore the key users of economic and financial datasets:     Financial Institutions: Banks, credit unions, investment firms, and other financial institutions rely heavily on economic and financial datasets. They use these datasets to assess credit risks, make investment decisions, conduct portfolio analysis, and develop financial products tailored to market demands.     Investors and Traders: Individual investors, hedge funds, asset managers, and traders utilize economic and financial datasets to identify market opportunities, analyze asset performance, and execute trading strategies. Datasets help them gauge the overall economic climate and evaluate potential risks.     Economists and Researchers: Economists and researchers from academic institutions, think tanks, and government agencies use economic datasets to study economic phenomena, forecast trends, and model economic systems. These datasets provide a foundation for empirical research and policy analysis.     Central Banks and Government Agencies: Central banks and government agencies, such as the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, and the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, rely on financial and economic datasets to formulate monetary and fiscal policies. Datasets help them understand inflation, unemployment, GDP growth, and other key economic indicators.     Corporations and Businesses: Companies across industries leverage economic and financial datasets to conduct market research, evaluate consumer behavior, and assess the viability of expansion plans. These datasets are crucial for strategic decision-making, especially for firms with international operations.     Financial Analysts: Financial analysts, including equity analysts, credit analysts, and market research analysts, depend on financial datasets to evaluate the financial health of companies, estimate stock valuations, and provide investment recommendations to clients.     Government and Public Policy Analysts: Professionals in government and public policy analysis utilize economic and financial datasets to monitor economic performance, assess policy outcomes, and create evidence-based policies that can foster economic growth and stability.     Real Estate Professionals: Real estate agents, property developers, and investors use economic datasets to gauge the health of the housing market, identify property trends, and assess the potential demand for real estate in different regions.     Insurance Companies: Insurance companies leverage economic datasets to evaluate risk profiles, price insurance policies, and forecast claims payouts based on prevailing economic conditions.     Credit Rating Agencies: Credit rating agencies rely on financial datasets to assess the creditworthiness of businesses and governments, determining their ability to repay debts and affecting their borrowing costs.     International Organizations: Organizations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and World Trade Organization (WTO) use economic and financial datasets to monitor global economic trends, support member countries, and promote international economic cooperation.     Academic Institutions: Universities and educational institutions use economic and financial datasets in their coursework, research projects, and economic modeling exercises. Students gain hands-on experience in data analysis and understand real-world economic scenarios.     Financial Media: Financial media outlets, such as news agencies, newspapers, and financial websites, utilize economic and financial datasets to provide up-to-date market analysis, economic commentary, and financial news to their audiences.     Consulting Firms: Consulting firms use economic and financial datasets to provide strategic advice to their clients, assisting them in making informed business decisions and navigating complex economic environments.     Startups and Entrepreneurs: Startups and entrepreneurs often analyze economic and financial datasets to validate business ideas, understand market dynamics, and develop business plans that align with economic trends.     Nonprofit Organizations: Nonprofits working in areas like poverty alleviation, education, and environmental protection use economic datasets to understand social and economic disparities, assess program impact, and advocate for policy changes. Predictive Analytics for Financial Markets One of the most prominent applications of financial datasets in AI training is predictive analytics for financial markets. AI models, such as neural networks and recurrent neural networks (RNNs), can analyze historical market data, including stock prices, trading volumes, and macroeconomic indicators, to make predictions about future market trends. Such predictions enable investors and traders to make informed decisions, optimize portfolios, and mitigate risks. Credit Risk Assessment Financial institutions extensively use AI models trained on economic and financial datasets to assess credit risk accurately. By analyzing historical credit data, economic indicators, and customer behavior, AI-driven credit risk models can predict the likelihood of loan defaults and determine appropriate interest rates. This ensures that lending institutions can optimize their loan portfolios and maintain a healthy balance between risk and reward. Datasets Lending Club Loan Data https://www.kaggle.com/wendykan/lending-club-loan-data This dataset is a comprehensive record of all loans issued by Lending Club, including current loan status (whether the loan is paid off, in collection, etc.) and latest payment information. German Credit Data https://archive.ics.uci.edu/ml/datasets/Statlog+(German+Credit+Data) The German Credit dataset from the UCI Machine Learning Repository contains data on 1,000 loan applicants. Each applicant is categorized as a good or bad credit risk. Home Credit Default Risk https://www.kaggle.com/c/home-credit-default-risk/data This Kaggle competition provided data related to clients' repayment difficulties. The data comes from Home Credit, a service dedicated to provided lines of credit (loans) to the unbanked population. Give Me Some Credit https://archive.ics.uci.edu/ml/datasets/default+of+credit+card+clients This Kaggle competition aims to improve on the state of the art in credit scoring by predicting the probability that somebody will experience financial distress in the next two years. Taiwan Credit Default https://archive.ics.uci.edu/ml/datasets/default+of+credit+card+clients This dataset contains information on default payments, demographic factors, credit data, history of payment, and bill statements of credit card clients in Taiwan from April 2005 to September 2005. Fraud Detection and Prevention The integration of financial datasets into AI models has proven invaluable in detecting fraudulent activities in the financial sector. Machine Learning algorithms can analyze transactional data, customer profiles, and behavioral patterns to identify suspicious activities in real-time. Consequently, this enhances security measures, protects customer data, and prevents financial losses due to fraudulent transactions. Datasets Credit Card Fraud Detection dataset from Kaggle: It includes data about credit card transactions that occurred over a period of two days, with 492 frauds out of 284,807 transactions. IEEE-CIS Fraud Detection dataset also from Kaggle: This is a more complex and extensive dataset, designed for robust analysis of fraud detection models. Paysim Synthetic Financial Datasets: This dataset is a synthetic dataset that simulates mobile money transactions. It's based on a sample of real transactions extracted from one month of financial logs. Insurance Fraud Detection dataset: Datasets related to insurance claims can be useful for detecting and understanding fraud in the insurance industry. While specific datasets may vary, you might find some on platforms like Kaggle or UCI Machine Learning Repository. The Enron Email Dataset: This is a large dataset created by the CALO Project (A Cognitive Assistant that Learns and Organizes). It contains data from about 150 users, mostly senior management of Enron, organized into folders. It can be used for a variety of purposes including fraud detection. UCI Machine Learning Repository: The UCI repository is a collection of databases, domain theories, and data generators that are used by the machine learning community. Some of the datasets, like the "Statlog (Australian Credit Approval)" dataset, can be used for fraud detection. Synthetic Financial Datasets For Fraud Detection from Kaggle: This is another synthetic dataset created for research purposes. It provides a large number of variables and is based on a very detailed data model. German Credit Data: Available on the UCI Machine Learning Repository, this dataset includes attributes like credit history, purpose, credit amount, and others. It's smaller than some others (1000 instances), but it could be used to build a credit fraud detection system. Remember to verify the Terms and Conditions for each dataset and ensure that your use case is in compliance with these terms. Economic Forecasting AI-powered economic forecasting has emerged as a crucial tool for governments, policymakers, and businesses. By analyzing a vast array of economic datasets, including GDP growth rates, inflation, employment data, and consumer sentiment, AI models can generate accurate predictions about future economic trends. These forecasts aid in formulating effective policies, making strategic business decisions, and preparing for economic fluctuations. Datasets FRED Economic Data: This is maintained by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and provides a huge variety of time-series data, which includes national income and product accounts (NIPA), labor market data, exchange rates, and sector-specific data. FRED Economic Data World Bank Open Data: Provides a large variety of economic, social, population, and development data from across the world. World Bank Open Data OECD Data: Provides a large variety of time-series data on OECD member countries. They have a vast number of datasets in various domains including economic projections. OECD Data Eurostat: Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union. Its mission is to provide high quality statistics for Europe. It provides access to a range of statistical information (data, publications and methodologies) on the Euro Area. Eurostat IMF Data: The International Monetary Fund publishes data on international finances, debt rates, exchange rates, commodity prices, and investments. IMF Data United Nations Comtrade Database: UN Comtrade is a repository of official international trade statistics and relevant analytical tables. It contains annual trade statistics starting from 1962 and monthly trade statistics since 2002. UN Comtrade Database Quandl: Quandl offers a vast collection of free and open data on the global economy, including databases that focus on target areas like futures, forex, indices, etc. Quandl U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA): The BEA produces some of the world's most closely watched statistics, including U.S. gross domestic product, better known as GDP. They provide access to a range of economic data. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED): Offers a wide range of time-series data which is not only limited to economics, but also includes banking, finance, and demographics among others. Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) Please note that each of these databases have different terms of use, and some require you to create an account or apply for access to download data. Algorithmic Trading Financial institutions and hedge funds have embraced algorithmic trading strategies enabled by AI models. These models analyze real-time market data, historical performance, and various economic indicators to execute trades at lightning speed and with enhanced precision. Algorithmic trading helps optimize trading strategies, achieve better returns, and reduce trading costs. Datasets Yahoo Finance: Provides historical stock price data for many stocks traded in the U.S. and worldwide. You can download this data directly from the website or use libraries like yfinance in Python to fetch the data programmatically. Link: Yahoo Finance Alpha Vantage: Offers free APIs for historical and real-time data on stocks, Forex, and cryptocurrencies, as well as various technical indicators. It requires an API key, which can be obtained for free (with some usage restrictions). Link: Alpha Vantage Quandl: Offers a wide array of financial and economic data. Some of the datasets are free, but others require a subscription. Data can be accessed directly through their website or via their API. Link: investor money IEX Cloud: Provides both historical and real-time stock prices, as well as other market data. It has free and paid plans, and provides a RESTful API for accessing the data. Link: IEX Cloud Google Finance: While no official API is provided, historical stock price data can be downloaded directly from the website. Link: Google Finance St. Louis Federal Reserve (FRED): Offers a vast amount of economic data from a variety of sources, including various market indicators which could be used in algorithmic trading. Link: FRED Kaggle: Provides a platform for various public datasets, which include financial data. They also host competitions which sometimes are related to algorithmic trading. Link: Kaggle CRSP (Center for Research in Security Prices): Provides historical stock data, including prices, volumes, dividends, and other important security-level data. This is a paid service. Link: CRSP Please keep in mind that use of these data sources may be subject to various terms and conditions, and it's essential to understand these conditions before using the data for algorithmic trading or other purposes. Always check for the latest conditions, as the availability of free data can change. Personalized Financial Services AI-driven recommendation systems have revolutionized the way financial institutions offer personalized services to their customers. By analyzing customer data, including spending patterns, investment preferences, and financial goals, AI models can provide tailored product recommendations, financial advice, and investment strategies. This fosters customer loyalty and improves overall satisfaction. Datasets Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) Complaint Database: This is a collection of complaints received by the CFPB about financial products and services. Credit Card Default Data: This dataset is used in academic circles to build default prediction models and includes a variety of data about card holders. Lending Club Loan Data: Lending Club, a peer-to-peer lending platform, released anonymized data about loans issued through their platform. Bank Marketing Data Set: Available on UCI Machine Learning Repository, this dataset is related to direct marketing campaigns of a Portuguese banking institution. Quandl: This platform provides access to a variety of financial and economic datasets, including stock market data, futures, options, commodities, and economic indicators. Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED): This is a vast database of economic data provided by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. It has various datasets about different economic and financial indicators. Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data: The HMDA data include various financial and personal data about home mortgage loans in the United States. Consumer Credit Panel (CCP): Produced by the New York Fed, it's a quarterly, nationally representative sample of individual- and household-level debt and credit records drawn from anonymized Equifax credit data. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): BLS maintains several datasets that contain information about personal finances, such as employment and income data. Portfolio Management Investment firms and wealth managers use AI-driven portfolio management solutions to optimize asset allocation and enhance investment performance. By leveraging financial datasets and historical market data, AI models can recommend the most suitable investment options based on risk appetite, financial goals, and market conditions. Datasets Yahoo Finance Website: Yahoo Finance Description: Provides data on stocks, indices, mutual funds, ETFs, options, futures, bonds, commodities, and currencies. Google Finance Website: Google Finance Description: Offers real-time quotes, market trends, financial news, and data for a wide variety of assets. Quandl Website: Quandl Description: Offers a wide array of financial and economic datasets, including equity prices, futures, options, commodities, and rates. Some datasets are free, while others require a subscription. Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) Website: FRED Description: Contains a massive database of economic data from a variety of sources. CRSP (Center for Research in Security Prices) Website: CRSP Description: This is a research center at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. It provides historical data related to the stock market, mutual funds, treasuries, and real estate. Intrinio Website: Intrinio Description: Offers access to a large amount of financial market data, including pricing, company financials, and more. Bloomberg Market and Financial News Website: Bloomberg Description: Provides news, analysis, and financial data on markets worldwide. Some data may require a Bloomberg Terminal. World Bank Open Data Website: World Bank Open Data Description: Free and open access to global development data, including economic indicators and more. S&P Global Market Intelligence Website: S&P Global Description: Provides data, news, and analytics related to banking, insurance, financial services, real estate, energy, media, and more. Ken French's Data Library Website: Ken French's Data Library Description: Provides historical financial market data, such as factors that are commonly used in asset pricing models. Remember to always verify the license agreement and terms of use for each dataset before using it in your projects. Sentiment Analysis Social media and news platforms generate vast amounts of financial and economic data, which can be harnessed through sentiment analysis. AI models analyze text data to gauge public sentiment towards specific financial instruments or economic events. This data-driven insight enables traders and investors to assess market sentiment and make informed decisions. Datasets IMDb Large Movie Review Dataset - This dataset contains movie reviews along with their associated binary sentiment polarity labels. It is intended to serve as a benchmark for sentiment classification. Link: http://ai.stanford.edu/~amaas/data/sentiment/ Sentiment140 - This dataset contains 1.6 million tweets extracted using the Twitter API. The tweets have been annotated (0 = negative, 2 = neutral, 4 = positive) and they can be used to detect sentiment. Link: http://help.sentiment140.com/for-students/ Yelp Reviews - An open dataset released by Yelp for learning purposes. It consists of millions of reviews with star ratings that can be used for sentiment analysis. Link: https://www.yelp.com/dataset Amazon Reviews for Sentiment Analysis - This dataset contains product reviews and metadata from Amazon, including 142.8 million reviews spanning May 1996 - July 2014. The dataset includes reviews (ratings, text, helpfulness votes), product metadata (descriptions, category information, price, brand, and image features), and links (also viewed/also bought graphs). Link: http://jmcauley.ucsd.edu/data/amazon/ Twitter US Airline Sentiment - A sentiment analysis job about the problems of each major U.S. airline. Twitter data was scraped from February of 2015 and contributors were asked to first classify positive, negative, and neutral tweets, followed by categorizing negative reasons. Link: https://www.kaggle.com/crowdflower/twitter-airline-sentiment Stanford Sentiment Treebank - This dataset includes fine-grained sentiment labels for 215,154 phrases in the parse trees of 11,855 sentences. Link: https://nlp.stanford.edu/sentiment/treebank.html Please note that access to these datasets may require agreement to the terms and conditions set by the data provider and may require the creation of an account or permission from the data provider.

During World War II, the Soviet Union’s food supply was in a state of crisis. Hitler’s army had occupied the agricultural heartlands of Ukraine and Southern Russia in 1941 and, as a result, agricultural production for the entire nation had plummeted. Soldiers in Red Army, who easily ate the best rations in the country, subsisted on a daily allowance of just under a kilogram of bread, supplemented with meat, tea, sugar and butter when and if these items were available. The hunger of the Red Army and its effect on the morale and strength of Europe’s eastern warfront were causes for concern for the Soviet government and its European and American allies. The one country with a food surplus decided to do something to help, and in 1942 the United States agreed to send thousands of pounds of meat, cheese and butter overseas to help feed the Red Army. After receiving several shipments of the all-American spiced canned meat SPAM, the Red Army’s quartermaster put in a request for a more familiar canned pork product, Russian tushonka. Pound for pound, America sent more pigs overseas than soldiers during World War II, in part because pork was in oversupply in the America of the early 1940s. Shipping meat to hungry soldiers and civilians in war torn countries was a practical way to build business for the U.S. meat industry, which had been in decline throughout the 1930s. As per a Soviet-supplied recipe, the first cans of Lend-Lease tushonka were made in the heart of the American Midwest, at meatpacking plants in Iowa and Ohio (Stettinus 6-7). Government contracts in the meat packing industry helped fuel economic recovery, and meatpackers were in a position to take special request orders like the one for tushonka that came through the lines. Unlike SPAM, which was something of a novelty item during the war, tushonka was a food with a past. The original recipe was based on a recipe for preserved meat that had been a traditional product of the Ural Mountains, preserved in jars with salt and fat rather than by pressure and heat. Thus tushonka was requested—and was mass-produced—not simply as a convenience but also as a traditional and familiar food—a taste of home cooking that soldiers could carry with them into the field. Nikita Khrushchev later claimed that the arrival of tushonka was instrumental in helping the Red Army push back against the Nazi invasion (178). Unlike SPAM and other wartime rations, tushonka did not fade away after the war. Instead, it was distributed to the Soviet civilian population, appearing in charity donations and on the shelves of state shops. Often it was the only meat product available on a regular basis. Salty, fatty, and slightly grey-toned, tushonka was an unlikely hero of the postwar-era, but during this period tushonka rose from obscurity to become an emblem of socialist modernity. Because it was shelf stable and could be made from a variety of different cuts of meat, it proved an ideal product for the socialist production lines where supplies and the pace of production were infinitely variable. Unusual in a socialist system of supply, this product shaped production and distribution lines, and even influenced the layout of meatpacking factories and the genetic stocks of the animals that were to be eaten. Tushonka’s initial ubiquity in the postwar Soviet Union had little to do with the USSR’s own hog industry. Pig populations as well as their processing facilities had been decimated in the war, and pigs that did survive the Axis invasion had been evacuated East with human populations. Instead, the early presence of tushonka in the pig-scarce postwar Soviet Union had everything to do with Harry Truman’s unexpected September 1945 decision to end all “economically useful” Lend-Lease shipments to the Soviet Union (Martel). By the end of September, canned meat was practically the only product still being shipped as part of Lend-Lease (NARA RG 59). Although the United Nations was supposed to distribute these supplies to needy civilians free of cost, travelers to the Soviet Union in 1946 spotted cans of American tushonka for sale in state shops (Skeoch 231). After American tushonka “donations” disappeared from store shelves, the Soviet Union’s meat syndicates decided to continue producing the product. Between its first appearance during the war in 1943, and the 1957 announcement by Nikita Khrushchev that Soviet policy would restructure all state animal farms to support the mass production of one or several processed meat products, tushonka helped to drive the evolution of the Soviet Union’s meat packing industry. Its popularity with both planners and the public gave it the power to reach into food commodity chains. It is this backward reach and the longer-term impacts of these policies that make tushonka an unusual byproduct of the Cold War era. State planners loved tushonka: it was cheap to make, the logistics of preparing it were not complicated, it was easy to transport, and most importantly, it served as tangible evidence that the state was accomplishing a long-standing goal to get more meat to its citizenry and improving the diet of the average Soviet worker. Tushonka became a highly visible product in the Soviet Union’s much vaunted push to establish a modern food regime intended to rival that of the United States. Because it was shelf-stable, wartime tushonka had served as a practical food for soldiers, but after the war tushonka became an ideal food for workers who had neither the time nor the space to prepare a home-cooked meal with fresh meat. The Soviet state started to produce its own tushonka because it was such an excellent fit for the needs and abilities of the Soviet state—consumer demand was rarely considered by planners in this era. Not only did tushonka fit the look and taste of a modern processed meat product (that is, it was standard in texture and flavor from can to can, and was an obviously industrially processed product), it was also an excellent way to make the most of the predominant kind of meat the Soviet Union had the in the 1950s: small scraps low-grade pork and beef, trimmings leftover from butchering practices that focused on harvesting as much animal fat, rather than muscle, from the carcass in question. Just like tushonka, pork sausages and frozen pelmeny, a meat-filled pasta dumpling, also became winning postwar foods thanks to a happy synergy of increased animal production, better butchering and new food processing machines. As postwar pigs recovered their populations, the Soviet processed meat industry followed suit. One official source listed twenty-six different kinds of meat products being issued in 1964, although not all of these were pork (Danilov). An instructional manual distributed by the meat and milk syndicate demonstrated how meat shops should wrap and display sausages, and listed 24 different kinds of sausages that all needed a special style of tying up. Because of packaging shortages, the string that bound the sausage was wrapped in a different way for every type of sausage, and shop assistants were expected to be able to identify sausages based on the pattern of their binding. Pelmeny were produced at every meat factory that processed pork. These were “made from start to finish in a special, automated machine, human hands do not touch them. Which makes them a higher quality and better (prevoskhodnogo) product” (Book of Healthy and Delicious Food). These were foods that became possible to produce economically because of a co-occurring increase in pigs, the new standardized practice of equipping meatpacking plants with large-capacity grinders, and freezers or coolers and the enforcement of a system of grading meat. As the state began to rebuild Soviet agriculture from its near-collapse during the war, the Soviet Union looked to the United States for inspiration. Surprisingly, Soviet planners found some of the United States’ more outdated techniques to be quite valuable for new Soviet hog operations. The most striking of these was the adoption of competing phenotypes in the Soviet hog industry. Most major swine varieties had been developed and described in the 19th century in Germany and Great Britain. Breeds had a tendency to split into two phenotypically distinct groups, and in early 20th Century American pig farms, there was strong disagreement as to which style of pig was better suited to industrial conditions of production. Some pigs were “hot-blooded” (in other words, fast maturing and prolific reproducers) while others were a slower “big type” pig (a self-explanatory descriptor). Breeds rarely excelled at both traits and it was a matter of opinion whether speed or size was the most desirable trait to augment. The over-emphasis of either set of qualities damaged survival rates. At their largest, big type pigs resembled small hippopotamuses, and sows were so corpulent they unwittingly crushed their tiny piglets. But the sleeker hot-blooded pigs had a similarly lethal relationship with their young. Sows often produced litters of upwards of a dozen piglets and the stress of tending such a large brood led overwhelmed sows to devour their own offspring (Long). American pig breeders had been forced to navigate between these two undesirable extremes, but by the 1930s, big type pigs were fading in popularity mainly because butter and newly developed plant oils were replacing lard as the cooking fat of preference in American kitchens. The remarkable propensity of the big type to pack on pounds of extra fat was more of a liability than a benefit in this period, as the price that lard and salt pork plummeted in this decade. By the time U.S. meat packers were shipping cans of tushonka to their Soviet allies across the seas, US hog operations had already developed a strong preference for hot-blooded breeds and research had shifted to building and maintaining lean muscle on these swiftly maturing animals. When Soviet industrial planners hoping to learn how to make more tushonka entered the scene however, their interpretation of american efficiency was hardly predictable: scientifically nourished big type pigs may have been advantageous to the United States at midcentury, but the Soviet Union’s farms and hungry citizens had a very different list of needs and wants. At midcentury, Soviet pigs were still handicapped by old-fashioned variables such as cold weather, long winters, poor farm organisation and impoverished feed regimens. The look of the average Soviet hog operation was hardly industrial. In 1955 the typical Soviet pig was petite, shaggy, and slow to reproduce. In the absence of robust dairy or vegetable oil industries, Soviet pigs had always been valued for their fat rather than their meat, and tushonka had been a byproduct of an industry focused mainly on supplying the country with fat and lard. Until the mid 1950s, the most valuable pig on many Soviet state and collective farms was the nondescript but very rotund “lard and bacon” pig, an inefficient eater that could take upwards of two years to reach full maturity. In searching for a way to serve up more tushonka, Soviet planners became aware that their entire industry needed to be revamped. When the Soviet Union looked to the United States, planners were inspired by the earlier competition between hot-blooded and big type pigs, which Soviet planners thought, ambitiously, they could combine into one splendid pig. The Soviet Union imported new pigs from Poland, Lithuania, East Germany and Denmark, trying valiantly to create hybrid pigs that would exhibit both hot blood and big type. Soviet planners were especially interested in inspiring the Poland-China, an especially rotund specimen, to speed up its life cycle during them mid 1950s. Hybrdizing and cross breeding a Soviet super-pig, no matter how closely laid out on paper, was probably always a socialist pipe dream. However, when the Soviets decided to try to outbreed American hog breeders, they created an infrastructure for pigs and pig breeding that had a dramatic positive impact of hog populations across the country, and the 1950s were marked by a large increase in the number of pigs in the Soviet union, as well as dramatic increases in the numbers of purebred and scientific hybrids the country developed, all in the name of tushonka. It was not just the genetic stock that received a makeover in the postwar drive to can more tushonka; a revolution in the barnyard also took place and in less than 10 years, pigs were living in new housing stock and eating new feed sources. The most obvious postwar change was in farm layout and the use of building space. In the early 1950s, many collective farms had been consolidated. In 1940 there were a quarter of a million kolkhozii, by 1951 fewer than half that many remained (NARA RG166). Farm consolidation movements most often combined two, three or four collective farms into one economic unit, thus scaling up the average size and productivity of each collective farm and simplifying their administration. While there were originally ambitious plans to re-center farms around new “agro-city” bases with new, modern farm buildings, these projects were ultimately abandoned. Instead, existing buildings were repurposed and the several clusters of farm buildings that had once been the heart of separate villages acquired different uses. For animals this meant new barns and new daily routines. Barns were redesigned and compartmentalized around ideas of gender and age segregation—weaned baby pigs in one area, farrowing sows in another—as well as maximising growth and health. Pigs spent less outside time and more time at the trough. Pigs that were wanted for different purposes (breeding, meat and lard) were kept in different areas, isolated from each other to minimize the spread of disease as well as improve the efficiency of production. Much like postwar housing for humans, the new and improved pig barn was a crowded and often chaotic place where the electricity, heat and water functioned only sporadically. New barns were supposed to be mechanised. In some places, mechanisation had helped speed things along, but as one American official viewing a new mechanised pig farm in 1955 noted, “it did not appear to be a highly efficient organisation. The mechanised or automated operations, such as the preparation of hog feed, were eclipsed by the amount of hand labor which both preceded and followed the mechanised portion” (NARA RG166 1961). The American official estimated that by mechanizing, Soviet farms had actually increased the amount of human labor needed for farming operations. The other major environmental change took place away from the barnyard, in new crops the Soviet Union began to grow for fodder. The heart and soul of this project was establishing field corn as a major new fodder crop. Originally intended as a feed for cows that would replace hay, corn quickly became the feed of choice for raising pigs. After a visit by a United States delegation to Iowa and other U.S. farms over the summer of 1955, corn became the centerpiece of Khrushchev’s efforts to raise meat and milk productivity. These efforts were what earned Khrushchev his nickname of kukuruznik, or “corn fanatic.” Since so little of the Soviet Union looks or feels much like the plains and hills of Iowa, adopting corn might seem quixotic, but raising corn was a potentially practical move for a cold country. Unlike the other major fodder crops of turnips and potatoes, corn could be harvested early, while still green but already possessing a high level of protein. Corn provided a “gap month” of green feed during July and August, when grazing animals had eaten the first spring green growth but these same plants had not recovered their biomass. What corn remained in the fields in late summer was harvested and made into silage, and corn made the best silage that had been historically available in the Soviet Union. The high protein content of even silage made from green mass and unripe corn ears prevented them from losing weight in the winter. Thus the desire to put more meat on Soviet tables—a desire first prompted by American food donations of surplus pork from Iowa farmers adapting to agro-industrial reordering in their own country—pushed back into the commodity supply network of the Soviet Union. World War II rations that were well adapted to the uncertainty and poor infrastructure not just of war but also of peacetime were a source of inspiration for Soviet planners striving to improve the diets of citizens. To do this, they purchased and bred more and better animals, inventing breeds and paying attention, for the first time, to the efficiency and speed with which these animals were ready to become meat. Reinventing Soviet pigs pushed even back farther, and inspired agricultural economists and state planners to embrace new farm organizational structures. Pigs meant for the tushonka can spent more time inside eating, and led their lives in a rigid compartmentalization that mimicked emerging trends in human urban society. Beyond the barnyard, a new concern with feed-to weight conversions led agriculturalists to seek new crops; crops like corn that were costly to grow but were a perfect food for a pig destined for a tushonka tin. Thus in Soviet industrialization, pigs evolved. No longer simply recyclers of human waste, socialist pigs were consumers in their own right, their newly crafted genetic compositions demanded ever more technical feed sources in order to maximize their own productivity. Food is transformative, and in this case study the prosaic substance of canned meat proved to be unusually transformative for the history of the Soviet Union. In its early history it kept soldiers alive long enough to win an important war, later the requirements for its manufacture re-prioritized muscle tissue over fat tissue in the disassembly of carcasses. This transformative influence reached backwards into the supply lines and farms of the Soviet Union, revolutionizing the scale and goals of farming and meat packing for the Soviet food industry, as well as the relationship between the pig and the consumer. References Bentley, Amy. Eating for Victory: Food Rationing and the Politics of Domesticity. Where: University of Illinois Press, 1998. The Book of Healthy and Delicious Food, Kniga O Vkusnoi I Zdorovoi Pishche. Moscow: AMN Izd., 1952. 161. Danilov, M. M. Tovaravedenie Prodovol’stvennykh Tovarov: Miaso I Miasnye Tovarye. Moscow: Iz. Ekonomika, 1964. Khrushchev, Nikita. Khrushchev Remembers. New York: Little, Brown & Company, 1970. 178. Long, James. The Book of the Pig. London: Upcott Gill, 1886. 102. Lush, Jay & A.L. Anderson, “A Genetic History of Poland-China Swine: I—Early Breed History: The ‘Hot Blood’ versus the ‘Big Type’” Journal of Heredity 30.4 (1939): 149-56. Martel, Leon. Lend-Lease, Loans, and the Coming of the Cold War: A Study of the Implementation of Foreign Policy. Boulder: Westview Press, 1979. 35. National Archive and Records Administration (NARA). RG 59, General Records of the Department of State. Office of Soviet Union affairs, Box 6. “Records relating to Lend Lease with the USSR 1941-1952”. National Archive and Records Administration (NARA). RG166, Records of the Foreign Agricultural Service. Narrative reports 1940-1954. USSR Cotton-USSR Foreign trade. Box 64, Folder “farm management”. Report written by David V Kelly, 6 Apr. 1951. National Archive and Records Administration (NARA). RG 166, Records of the Foreign Agricultural Service. Narrative Reports 1955-1961. Folder: “Agriculture” “Visits to Soviet agricultural installations,” 15 Nov. 1961. Skeoch, L.A. Food Prices and Ration Scale in the Ukraine, 1946 The Review of Economics and Statistics 35.3 (Aug. 1953), 229-35. State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF). Fond R-7021. The Report of Extraordinary Special State Commission on Wartime Losses Resulting from the German-Fascist Occupation cites the following losses in the German takeover. 1948. Stettinus, Edward R. Jr. Lend-Lease: Weapon for Victory. Penguin Books, 1944.