Shelter+: A Practical Guide for Community-Driven Use of Civil Defense Shelters

▼This page is part of the Tolocar project by GIZ.This content is open edit, which means we encourage you to edit and reuse all materials while respecting its license.

Shelter+ is a practical handbook developed by the Ostriv Platform (Ukraine) within the Tolocar project, documenting hands-on experience in adapting existing civil defense shelters into functional, community-oriented spaces. The guide focuses on low-cost, participatory approaches that allow shelters to serve everyday social, educational, or cultural functions, while remaining fit for their primary purpose as protective infrastructure.

The publication is based on real projects implemented in Ukraine and is intended as a complementary, non-normative resource. It does not replace legal requirements, safety standards, or official approvals.

The main goal of Shelter+ is to support local actors in improving the usability, sustainability, and everyday relevance of shelters through:

• community involvement throughout planning and implementation,
• simple architectural and interior design solutions,
• low-cost and resource-efficient methods,
• multifunctional use that encourages regular maintenance and care.

The guide is grounded in the idea that shelters which a

re actively used in everyday life are more likely to remain accessible, maintained, and ready in emergency situations.

Shelter+ is intended for civic initiatives and community groups, municipal and public institutions, housing associations (e.g. OSBB / OSN), practitioners working with community spaces, urban development, or participatory infrastructure, and organizations involved in shelter management and everyday use during wartime.

Shelter+ operates within existing legal and institutional frameworks and assumes that shelters are legally designated and approved by the competent authorities. The guide does not provide technical, structural, or security regulations. It does not interpret or replace DBN (State Building Standards) or guidance issued by authorities such as DSNS or the Ministry of Health. The responsibility for legal compliance, safety, and approvals remains with local authorities, operators, and competent bodies. All technical systems (e.g. electricity, ventilation) are assumed to be planned and implemented by qualified professionals in accordance with applicable regulations.

File:Ukryttia Block.pdf

The Shelter+ guide is available as an open-access digital publication in Ukrainian language version only, and may be shared for non-commercial, educational, and informational purposes, with appropriate attribution to the authors.

The full version can be found here: https://7869073e.flowpaper.com/Ukryttiaplus/#page=1