---
title: "Mark Marchenko: Investments in Ukrainian cities now depend on mayors, not location"
description: "The map of Ukraine's investment attractiveness is changing: now a city's success depends not on location, but on the mayor. Mark Marchenko (SENSAR Development) at the Forbes Development forum stated that money is going where the authorities are ready to work according to transparent rules, not \"manual\" schemes. 🏙️💰"
date: 2026-08-04T09:48:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/mark-marchenko-investments-in-ukrainian-cities-now-depend-on-mayors-not-location
tags: [mark-marchenko, sensar-development, forbes-development, ukraine-real-estate, investment]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Mark Marchenko: Investments in Ukrainian cities now depend on mayors, not location

![Panel discussion featuring Mark Marchenko at a Ukrainian city development conference, discussing how mayors now drive investment attractiveness over location](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/04/mark-marchenko-investitsii-v-goroda-ukrainy-zavisyat-ot-merov/mark-marchenko-investitsii-v-goroda-ukrainy-zavisyat-ot-merov-1.webp)

The map of Ukraine's investment attractiveness is being rewritten before our eyes. While transport hubs or the historic center were once key factors for developers, today a completely different parameter plays the decisive role — the willingness of local authorities to work according to transparent rules. This was stated by Mark Marchenko, founder and CEO of SENSAR Development, during the Forbes Development forum.

The war and mass migration of the population have shifted the country's economic centers to the west. Capital is available, and business is ready to build modern infrastructure, but, as Marchenko notes, this is only half the success. The second, often decisive part, depends on how open the authorities of a specific city are to this influx of resources.

### The era of "manual rules" is going into the past

The situation in the real estate and urban planning market has changed radically. Mark Marchenko noted that today much depends on mayors and local administrations. While some cities are ready for innovations and a European format of development, others continue to create barriers.

"There are cities where you come with a modern infrastructure project, bring brands, create new quality, but face absurd restrictions and manual rules," Marchenko said.

According to him, the success of a Ukrainian city's development today is determined not only by a favorable geographical location. The decisive factor becomes the ability of local authorities to create transparent rules of the game and support projects that form a new quality of the urban environment.

### DIAM reform and market adaptation

An important driver of change has been the reform of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning (DIAM) and the gradual digitization of procedures. Marchenko emphasized that the state has made important steps in this direction, although the adaptation process does not always go smoothly.

"Not all developers have adapted to the fact that you no longer need to pay, but need to work according to the rules. This may sound cringe-worthy, but adapting to new rules without corruption is also a difficult process. At the same time, this is the right direction, and it helps the market become more transparent," noted the CEO of SENSAR Development.

### Where is the money flowing?

Investment flows are increasingly concentrating where business feels openness to cooperation. Marchenko explained that money flows where people are ready to accept it. Unfortunately, not all cities have been ready for the influx of investments, developers, and new projects. Sometimes a city declares openness, but in practice, it is almost impossible to enter.

The experience of developers shows that regions and cities that were able to quickly adapt to new challenges and build a constructive dialogue with business have become new centers of economic growth. Currently, they are already receiving new jobs, modern infrastructure, international brands, and additional tax revenues.

Thus, the quality of management and readiness for dialogue with business become the main drivers of development. It is this that determines whether a city's potential will turn into real projects that will change the economy and the quality of life of society.