NATIONAL URBAN FORUM
2025
KYZYLORDA, KAZAKHSTAN / JULY 8
Kyzylorda has become a space where regions, the government, and the international community in Kazakhstan spoke for the first time about cities as living, evolving systems, with people at their center. On July 8, the city hosted the first National Urban Forum — an event that marked the beginning of a new chapter in the country’s urban development.
The Forum was organized by the Akimat of the Kyzylorda Region with the support of UN-Habitat and in partnership with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Construction, the Vision Zero Community Public Foundation, and the international architectural media platform ARCHICA.
The Forum brought together architects, urban planners, representatives of government institutions, international organizations, civil society, and the business community.
The Forum was organized by the Akimat of the Kyzylorda Region with the support of UN-Habitat and in partnership with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Construction, the Vision Zero Community Public Foundation, and the international architectural media platform ARCHICA.
The Forum brought together architects, urban planners, representatives of government institutions, international organizations, civil society, and the business community.
One of the first sessions, moderated by the Interregional Advisor for Central Asia at UN-Habitat, Katja Schäfer, set a humanitarian direction for the Forum. According to her, cities are not only spaces but also reflections of emotions, needs, feelings of safety, and a sense of belonging. Without a human-centered approach, urban planning loses its meaning.
The Forum became not only a platform for discussions but also for exchanging experience with international experts, including well-known urbanists and architects such as Harry Dobbs (United Kingdom), Riccardo Marini (United Kingdom/Italy), Yuri Milevsky (Russia/United Kingdom), Maria Skryabina (Republic of Sakha), and others.
Participants paid particular attention to the challenges of climate change, which are especially relevant for the southern and western regions of the country. Practical steps to increase urban resilience were discussed — from nature-based solutions to digital urban management platforms.
Participants paid particular attention to the challenges of climate change, which are especially relevant for the southern and western regions of the country. Practical steps to increase urban resilience were discussed — from nature-based solutions to digital urban management platforms.
The concluding theme of the Forum focused on climate resilience of cities, particularly in the context of southern Kazakhstan, where high summer temperatures, water scarcity, and desertification processes directly affect the daily lives of local residents. Participants discussed the need for adaptive architecture, microclimatic zoning, and nature-based solutions such as green corridors, water retention systems, and the integration of ecosystems into urban planning.
Experts noted that the Forum in Kyzylorda became not just an event, but a true marker of a shift in approaches to urban policy: from abstract concepts to practical solutions, and from centralized planning to regional dialogue. Kazakhstan has not simply joined the global urban development movement — it has presented itself as a country ready to shape its own unique agenda, with society, climate, and equitable development at its core.
Experts noted that the Forum in Kyzylorda became not just an event, but a true marker of a shift in approaches to urban policy: from abstract concepts to practical solutions, and from centralized planning to regional dialogue. Kazakhstan has not simply joined the global urban development movement — it has presented itself as a country ready to shape its own unique agenda, with society, climate, and equitable development at its core.