Today, the second forum of the WeAlmaty project was held in the format of a dialogue platform on the theme «Green Corridor» and public space, organized by the British Council, the Mayor of Almaty, the Almaty Development Center and the Kazakhstan-British Technical University with the support of the European Union. The aim of the event is to continue the dialogue between representatives of the government, civil society and the business sector on the development of the city and the implementation of the concept of the «green corridor.»
During the meeting, the organizers shared plans to create a «green corridor» for pedestrians and develop a network of public places for recreation of citizens, and urged Almaty residents to actively propose their ideas for the development of pedestrian zones.
«Today we propose to collect all proposals for the development of the city for further implementation next year. This year, within the framework of the Almaty Development Program 2020, the first stage of the construction of pedestrian streets in the old part of the city has already passed, we see that people liked these changes. In order to further effectively transform the current streets and develop the pedestrian network, it is necessary to receive the wishes of the citizens on a permanent basis,» Natalia Livinskaya, head of the urban center, told the dialogue.
Representatives of the Office of Architecture and Urban Development, the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, the Office of Passenger Transport and Highways, the Office of Tourism and External Relations and the Almaty Development Center, civil activists, experts, cultural figures and businessmen took part in the city administration.
«Our main goal is to create a comfortable environment for citizens, which are one of the most important factors in the development of the city. Next year it is planned to reconstruct 18 streets. We formed a pedestrian ring, this is Tole Bi Street, Dostyk Avenues, Abaya and the River Yesentai embankment. Today, the core of pedestrian streets is the Panfilov street. We have specifically taken these streets in order to preserve and revive the old center of Almaty,» Almaskhan Akhmetzhanov, deputy head of the Almaty city planning department, said in a statement.
After the presentation, the forum participants made their constructive proposals in the formation of the second stage of designing a network of pedestrian zones and cycle paths, parks and green areas, taking into account their needs and expectations.
In addition to exchanging views, the organizers announced the launch of a competition to develop local infrastructure, create new business incubators, new digital technologies and mobile applications, create public spaces, creative centers and new social enterprises, produce video materials, greening areas and spaces in the city and others.
«The WeAlmaty Grant Fund is a great opportunity for initiative citizens to implement their ideas and launch social projects. We want to empower people to bring their initiatives to life by improving the life of the city and its communities. It is very important that we want to see sustainable projects that involve citizens and different stakeholders, and have a clear business model. A detailed description of the procedure and selection criteria are posted on the project's website,» said Daniyar Mukitanov, project manager at WeAlmaty.
The WeAlmaty project is being implemented by the British Council (British Council), the Mayor's Committee of Almaty, the Almaty City Development Centre and the Kazakhstan-British Technical University (KBTU) with the financial support of the European Union of 430,000 euros. The project was launched in April 2017 with the aim of promoting Almaty's cultural, business and «city of active citizens» through the directional development of civil society. The three-year project will help build the capacity of urban communities, acquire the necessary skills and opportunities to engage citizens in the development of the city of Almaty and support social entrepreneurship.
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The green corridor is a corridor covering the path for cyclists and pedestrians. The landscape design should correspond to the location: natural in suburban areas, and arbitrary within the quarters. Landscaping must match the location: natural in the countryside, and arbitrary within the neighborhoods. The green corridor should follow a natural trajectory that transforms depending on the goal. As a rule, these are embankments (river promenade) or unused rails (from rail-to-trails). This concept will be applied by the administration of Almaty and the Central Intelligence Agency when planning the second stage of reconstruction of the city center in 2018.
The European Union comprises 28 member states that have decided to pool their advanced achievements, resources and fortunes. During the 50-year expansion, they managed to create a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development, while preserving cultural diversity, tolerance and civil liberties. The European Union is ready to share its achievements and values with states beyond its borders.
The British Council is an international organization in the United Kingdom that works in the field of cultural relations and educational opportunities. It fosters a friendly atmosphere to build cooperation and foster mutual understanding between the Uk and other countries. The British Council operates in more than 100 countries around the world in the fields of art and culture, the English language, education and the development of civil society. Each year, they attract more than 20 million people through our events and more than 500 million people through online channels and media.
The Kazakhstan-British Technical University was founded in 2001 as part of a joint project between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev. As one of the country's leading universities, KBTU has been actively involved in Almaty's intellectual development projects in conjunction with Almaty City Development Center and Almaty administration. The main contribution of KBTU to this project is the provision of content and its placement on the platform of interaction and dialogue.
Almaty City Development Center
Almaty's Urban Development Center promotes the sustainable socio-economic development of the city and improves the competitiveness of the city's economy. The main tool to achieve these goals is the consulting support for the development of strategic and programmatic documents in Almaty. Almaty City Development Center JSC analyzes and monitors the performance of the city of Almaty in international ratings, as well as studies, develops and implements innovative projects, including the Smart Almaty project. An important aspect of the Center's activities is the implementation of projects and activities in the field of urban studies. In addition, the functions also include consulting and methodological support for the implementation of corporate governance principles in organizations with the participation of the city administration of Almaty and analysis of the quality of public services.
