TRANSFORMATION OF URBAN PLANNING DOCUMENTATION IN THE CONTEXT OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES

Abstract

The contemporary development of Almaty requires not only the renewal of urban planning documents but also a stronger connection between long-term spatial planning, detailed territorial elaboration, transport and infrastructure decisions, and implementation mechanisms. In the context of the transformation of Kazakhstan’s urban planning documentation system, the functional relationship between the General Plan and the conceptual, sectoral, and detailed planning documents becomes particularly relevant. The aim of this study is to identify the role of urban planning documentation in linking long-term spatial decisions with practical mechanisms for implementing urban development, using Almaty as a case study. The research is based on a qualitative documentary case study design, supplemented by descriptive quantitative analysis. It applies historical-genetic and comparative-historical approaches, the method of periodisation, an audit of document accessibility and comparative analysis of urban planning documentation. The empirical base includes a set of legislative, regulatory, methodological and planning documents, including the General Plan of Almaty until 2040, the Transport Framework Master Plan until 2030, the Standards for Integrated Territorial Development and documents related to the 2026 reform. The study proposes a three-stage periodisation of the transformation of urban planning documentation in Kazakhstan: the normative-hierarchical stage dominated by the General Plan; the stage of methodological structuring of strategic and project-oriented approaches; and the stage of legislative integration of conceptual planning into the General Plan preparation procedure. The audit revealed a discrepancy between the widespread use of the term “master plan” and the limited number of publicly available approved documents of this type. The Almaty case demonstrates that the Transport Framework Master Plan until 2030 translates general spatial development provisions into measurable implementation parameters, including transport corridors, interchange hubs and accessibility indicators. The scientific contribution of the study lies in interpreting urban planning documentation not as a set of separate approved documents, but as a system of interrelated instruments that support the transition from spatial strategy to detailed planning, infrastructure coordination and practical implementation. The effectiveness of the new model will depend on clear differentiation of functions between the General Plan, conceptual, sectoral, and detailed documents, as well as on their connection to implementation programmes and measurable development indicators.