On March 14, in Astana, the presentation of the methodological guide “Standard for Comprehensive Development of Territories” was held. The event, hosted at the Kazakhstan Housing Company venue, brought together representatives of regional akimats, ministries and departments, architects, urbanists, representatives of educational institutions and research institutes, heads of construction companies, developers, and landscape specialists.
The guide addresses issues of densification and infill development, renovation of dilapidated housing, urban landscaping, and safe and comfortable yards and streets, among many other urban development challenges.
The book was adapted and published in Kazakh by the Q88 Association of Urbanists, with support from the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, JSC “Kazakhstan Housing Company,” and financial support from ERG.
Erlan Aukenov, Chairman of the Kazakhstan Association of Urbanists:
“The Standard for Comprehensive Development of Territories is one of the few works that considers a city comprehensively—from the design stage to operation, from building communication channels with residents to project financing mechanisms. The Standard also covers reform of housing and utilities, development of active transport corridors, and greening of public spaces.”
Altai Kuzdybayev, Acting Chairman of the Board of JSC “Kazakhstan Housing Company”:
“Currently, public awareness of the principles of comprehensive development and creation of a comfortable urban environment is low. It is crucial to convey the essence of the developed standards and the effects of their implementation on specific pilot projects. The Company plans to promote these standards through its tools supporting demand and supply in Kazakhstan’s real estate market.”
Key strategic directions of the Company:
— Guaranteeing shared-equity housing participation;
— Financing housing construction through the purchase of municipal bonds;
— Subsidizing loans for private developers;
— Subsidizing part of the interest rate on mortgage loans issued to the public by second-tier banks;
— Purchasing claims on mortgage loans;
— Providing rental housing with buyout options.
From 2009 to 2022, using the Company’s instruments, about 10 million sq. m. of housing or 145,000 apartments were introduced. In 2022, the Company’s contribution to affordable housing construction in Kazakhstan was 25%—every fourth multi-apartment building was built with the support of JSC “Kazakhstan Housing Company.”
Denis Filippov, Deputy General Director of JSC “DOM.RF”:
“Our countries face similar challenges in housing development—accelerating construction while improving the quality of homes and reducing environmental impact. When developing the Standard for Comprehensive Development of Territories, we primarily focused on the interests and needs of people, considered best practices in urban planning, and sustainable development trends, including ‘green’ standards. In Russia, this systematic methodological document has proven effective, significantly improving living comfort in cities. We are confident that in Kazakhstan, its effects will be recognized soon.”
During the event, a memorandum was signed between the Kazakhstan Association of Urbanists Q88 and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, under which the parties intend to cooperate in developing and implementing educational programs in urban planning and architecture.
Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan:
“From an ideological perspective, the transition to such open standards, public involvement, engagement of each resident and city leaders, is a very important ideological step. It fully aligns with the broader ideology of a fair, open Kazakhstan, which our President is implementing today.”
One of the main tasks of the Q88 Association of Urbanists is to educate and raise professional knowledge in the development of comfortable urban environments and sustainable cities.
The guide “Standard for Comprehensive Development of Territories” is published in both Kazakh and Russian. Around 2,000 sets of the Standard will be distributed to regional, city, and district akimats, architects, heads of transport and landscaping departments of local executive bodies. This was made possible thanks to financial support from ERG.
Reference: The Standard for Comprehensive Development of Territories is a methodological guide for the development of built-up areas and the development of new territories. It provides recommendations for shaping the cityscape and preserving historical buildings while using them efficiently in modern life. The Standard consists of 6 books and 4 catalogs, forming a comprehensive toolkit for shaping and transforming residential and multifunctional areas.
Previously, the Association also translated and published in Kazakh world bestsellers in urbanism, such as Charles Montgomery’s Happy City and Janet Siddiq Khan & Seth Solomonova’s The Battle for the Cities.
Press Service
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