Title: Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
Research questions:
1. Why we need sustainable cities?
2. How can we prevent problems of urbanization in future?
Today in the world of advanced technologies, mankind, relying on its inventions, has learned that disaster
is approaching. The number of people is growing rapidly, and with it, urbanization is developing, the need
for a sustainable city is an acute issue. What is a sustainable city? Why do we need it (in Kazakhstan) and
what problems of the rapid growth of urbanization can we solve or prevent? I will try to answer these
questions in this essay.
A sustainable city is defined as a place that takes steps on an ongoing basis to maintain holistic vitality
for a long time. A sustainable city has a common vision that embraces and is actively promoted by all key
sectors of society, including enterprises, vulnerable groups of people, public associations, government
agencies and religious organizations. This is a place that dares to be innovative in its goals and
endeavors(https://www.kz.undp.org/content/kazakhstan/ru/home/ourperspective/ourperspectivearticles/_-__-_-.html). A sustainable city is a city in which the improvement of the quality of human life is achieved
in harmony with the improvement and maintenance of the health of ecological systems, and where the
industrial base of a healthy economy supports the quality of both human and ecological systems. In such
places, there is a widespread volunteer spirit that brings concrete results. This is where partnerships
between government, the business sector, and nonprofits are pervasive. Public debate in these
communities is attractive, inclusive, and constructive. What about our country?
Kazakhstan has three significant cities, one of them Shymkent. A settlement on the territory of modern
Shymkent already existed at the turn of the 11th - 12th centuries. At the same time, there is a hypothesis
about its earlier occurrence, put forward on the basis of burials found during archaeological excavations,
which, according to experts, date back to the 5th - 6th centuries *. Can we call it a sustainable city?
This is a very controversial question, because each period of time has its own requirements. The fact that
the city has been standing for about the 14th century already proves the stability of Shymkent, but today
the requirements are different. There are no wars, and everyone strives for universal comfort and
technological equality. Today it is necessary to consider all the requirements of a sustainable city and this
will certainly be a plus in the future.
Firstly, green city Shymkent falls into the EBRD's Global Green Cities Project
(https://tengrinews.kz/kazakhstan_news/shyimkent-popal-v-globalnyiy-proekt-ebrr-zelenyie-goroda374967/). It is one of the small but big steps towards creating a sustainable city, because $ 100 million
will significantly help in the development of green areas and increase the possibilities of the city "lung"
Secondly, in September 2018, the First President instructed to create a new development strategy for the
city of Shymkent, focused on the formation of a large industrial, innovative, tourism, trade and logistics
center in the region. In this regard, the Comprehensive Plan for the Development and Development of the
City of Shymkent until 2023 was submitted to the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan
(https://strategy2050.kz/ru/news/53435/). According to the head of government Askar Mamin - “A
comprehensive plan will increase the volume of housing construction from 500 thousand this year in
stages to 1 million square meters. meters per year and bring the level of housing up to 30 square meters.
meters per inhabitant. The emphasis will be on compact city development using the experience of
investors with international housing standards.” In my opinion, the most efficient use of land will have a
positive effect in the future, because it will prevent an increase in false urbanization and reduce the number
of families without their own housing.
Our future depends on ourselves and the goal of creating a sustainable city is one of 17 aspects that will
guide us into a bright future. Shymkent may not be an ideal city according to the criteria of a sustainable
city, but this does not mean that it cannot become a green smart city
*https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A8%D1%8B%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82