TOWARDS METHODOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE RECONSTRUCTION AND SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT OF UKRAINIAN REGIONS BASED ON THE SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES OF ETHNOPSYCHOLOGY

This article substantiates the relevance of ethnopsychology in urban studies, spatial planning, and urban design. It clarifies the categorical and conceptual framework, objectives, research tasks, and methods while also providing an overview of the current state of research in the field. The study reveals the scientific premises of ethnopsychology and justifies an ontological model of the interrelations between ethnopsychology and the living environment. The article characterizes the ethnoregions of Ukraine, detailing their distribution, spatial characteristics, and distinctive features. It analyzes the transformations and changes in ethnopsychological traits and their manifestations in the living environment of post- Soviet Ukraine. The research substantiates methodological changes in state regional policy, updates to urban planning documentation for reconstruction, and the definition of Ukraine’s spatial future based on the scientific principles of ethnopsychology. Territorial planning based on the scientific principles of ethnopsychology is described as a dynamic and interactive process in which community residents, planners, scholars, institutions, and leaders uphold planning traditions while strengthening the protection of rights, freedoms, and ethnic characteristics of the population. The key principle distinguishing this approach from Soviet-era planning is the recognition and integration of traditional knowledge, cultural identity, customary law, and the worldview of local communities. The scientific principles of ethnopsychology should serve as the methodological foundation for the reconstruction and spatial future of Ukraine, forming the basis of a new state regional policy and planning system at all territorial levels—from the national to the community scale. Planning based on the scientific principles of ethnopsychology represents a research-based approach to regional development, integrating traditional knowledge and local culture while acknowledging the existence of human communities that have engaged in their own planning practices for centuries. Given the significant cultural differences among Ukraine’s ethnic regions, spatial planning practices must vary accordingly, maintaining a comprehensive approach that incorporates the ethnopsychological uniqueness of local populations’ lifestyles and activities. A distinctive aspect of planning based on ethnopsychological principles is the incorporation of numerous local "technologies" that foster positive human-environment interactions and ensure a sustainable and future-oriented symbiosis.