Square of Resistance: How Does Urban Form Shape the Longevity of Protest Occupations? - Insights from Independence Square in Kyiv Part 2 Dissertation 2026 Milena Chyla University of Sheffield | UK Public squares have long served as stages for democratic expression, providing spaces where citizens can gather, debate, and challenge political authority. Yet, the relationship between public space and protest is increasingly contested, with growing tensions between maintaining public order and protecting the right to collective expression. While political and social factors are central to protest movements, the role of the built environment in enabling, shaping, or restricting collective action remains less understood.This dissertation investigates the relationship between urban form and the longevity of protest occupations through the case of Independence Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti) in Kyiv, focusing on the events of the Orange Revolution (2004) and the Revolution of Dignity (2013-14). Through historical analysis, spatial mapping, and architectural study, the research explores how protesters adapted to and appropriated the square over time. It identifies how spatial qualities - including open gathering areas, topography, transport infrastructure, symbolic landmarks, and proximity to institutions of power - contributed to the formation of encampments, barricades, logistical networks, and spaces for political assembly. The findings are synthesised into a spatial framework that links protest tactics to the qualities of urban space.By examining the democratic potential of public space, this study highlights how urban design can influence the conditions through which citizens assemble, express dissent, and create shared urban identities. It emphasises the responsibility of architects and urban designers to consider the political and social potential of civic space. Tutor(s) Tanzil Shafique