In Kazakhstan, all urban development projects will undergo comprehensive urban planning expertise to prevent haphazard construction. The Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development announced the new regulation, aiming to create a comfortable living environment for the population by introducing urban planning expertise at the legislative level.
Vice-Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development, Azamat Beispekov, stated that newly developed and adjusted urban projects (master plans, detailed territorial plans, and construction projects) will undergo comprehensive urban planning expertise to ensure compliance with the design solutions of higher-level urban projects in the State Expertise.
Previously, master plans for cities with a population of fewer than 100,000 inhabitants underwent expertise through local executive bodies - akimats, while for larger cities, expertise was conducted at the level of central government bodies. However, this process led to wasted working time, slow information transmission and processing, untimely decision-making, and paper costs. Detailed territorial plans and construction projects were approved by akimats without undergoing expertise.
Furthermore, a unified mechanism for public discussions during the development of urban projects has been introduced. Additionally, a monitoring mechanism has been strengthened to prevent illegal construction by conducting on-site inspections by architectural authorities. In case of violations, the architectural authorities report the information to the State Architectural and Construction Control authorities for appropriate actions.
These measures aim to streamline the urban planning process, ensure compliance with regulations, and prevent unauthorized construction, ultimately contributing to the sustainable development of urban areas in Kazakhstan.
