Cities and Local Governments in Central Asia

Abstract

This book presents the changing roles of urban governments and how local governments struggle to gain administrative, fiscal, and political power to combat current urban challenges in Kazakhstan.Focusing on the cities and regions selected by the national government of Kazakhstan to be the drivers of national economic development, the author analyses the impact of decentralization on the role of local governments. The book examines the practical experiences of city and regional governments with an emphasis on urban planning, public investment in national projects, and management of urban transport. Due to the complexity and irregular distribution of political reforms at different levels of local government in Kazakhstan, three separate studies are presented, each looking at a specific aspect of decentralization reform and local government function related to physical urban development and distribution of public investment. The author argues that, if the national government of Kazakhstan wants to concentrate economic resources in urban agglomerations, it is not enough to assume that local governments are ready to play the role of efficient planners and managers of urban development.A useful analysis illustrating cities and urban conglomerations as engines of growth in economic development, this book will be of interest to academics studying Central Asian Studies, in particular political and economic development, Development Studies, and Urban Studies. List of tables viAcknowledgements viii 1 The changing roles of cities and local governments 1 2 Uncovering administrative, fiscal, and political powers of local governments in Kazakhstan 18 3 Administrative urban struggle: Almaty City versus Almaty Region 42 4 Fiscal challenges facing Nur-Sultan and Almaty: fighting for national projects and transfers 71 5 Clash of local deputies versus local bureaucrats in urban transport development 99 6 Reconsidering the role of local governments in the Central Asian context 121 Index 133 Contents Tables

The Evolution of the Kazakhstani Silk Road Section from a Transport into a Logistics Corridor and the Economic Sustainability of Regional Development in Central Asia

“…Finally, in 2017, the government enacted the National Export Strategy of Kazakhstan 2018-2022, that aimed to double the volume of non-commodity exports [64]. However, there is poor implementation of enacted policies on the regional level [65]. The regional governments lack the capacity to allow local producers to benefit from the nationally established institutional conditions.…”

“…The unsatisfactory quality of even newly commissioned road sections along the WE-WC corridor could be explained by the poorly managed maintenance of roads and the underdevelopment of road safety infrastructure. The road maintenance in Kazakhstan is managed by the regions, and the capacity of regional representatives to maintain the roads differs from region to region [65]. The road maintenance at the regional level directly impacts road quality, as well as the traffic safety [50].…”

“…The long-term economic sustainability of the WE-WC linking regions depends on local conditions created for companies to produce non-commodity products with high export value. There is an urgent need to develop capacities of regional governments to enhance the development and maintenance of transport infrastructure, as well as to create better institutional conditions to increase the competitive advantages of the locally produced goods and services [65].…”