Almaty plans to completely abandon the familiar concept of a 'bedroom community'. City authorities have announced their intention to reshape the very concept of the metropolis. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

Three years ago, Almaty was divided into five large zones, so-called polycenters. The main idea is simple: to make districts such that they have everything people need without mandatory trips to the historical center. According to the new master plan, construction will begin within the next five years. This was stated by Ashat Saduov, head of the Almatygenplan Research Institute, in the Qala Vision podcast.

The eastern outskirts of the city ('Eastern Gate') are promised to be developed most actively in the next five-year period. Due to the proximity to the airport, high-rise buildings are not planned here, and they promise to limit construction to a maximum of six floors. Nevertheless, designers hope to turn this area into a vibrant hub. Currently, there is a lot of construction but few new streets, causing traffic jams on the Talgar and Kuldzha highways.

'All the functions inherent in central districts, we are placing in the Eastern Gate. These include parks, public spaces, and embankments. We plan to locate one university there, hospitals, and so on,' Saduov said.

Also in this zone, a new stadium, hotels, and business centers are planned. The western direction of the city will also be rebuilt. The key facility there is the future transport hub 'Barlyk'. The first metro line is planned to be extended there. The 'Barlyk' station will become the terminus. In addition, the LRT will be launched. The line will run along Tole bi Street straight to the western outskirts.

A third railway station, 'Almaty-3', will also appear. It will be built in the area of the projected Sain Street and Burundai Highway.

'From the third station, as a hub, flows will descend along Sain down so that people do not travel from the second station across the entire city and create a load on transport,' explained the head of Almatygenplan.

Currently, most people from the suburbs commute to Almaty by car. As a result, the city is stuck in traffic jams, and smog hangs in the air. The authorities want to switch people to public transport. According to ambitious plans, by 2040, 64% of citizens should use it.

To achieve this, two projects are planned, one of which is electric trains to the city of Alatau. The new city is intended to become a powerful economic center through tax incentives for businesses. It is planned that large flows of people from the region will commute there for work, not to Almaty.

Also being developed is the idea of launching elevated high-speed transport that will connect Kaskelen and Talgar. The SkyTrain line will pass through Almaty 'above', along Al-Farabi Avenue and the Western Ring Road. It is expected that suburban residents will be able to quickly cross the city without ever getting on the roads in their personal cars.

According to Saduov, Almaty residents will see the first major changes within the next five years. The department hopes that during this time the city will definitely manage to build the LRT and the second metro line. Meanwhile, suburban residents spend precious hours of their lives standing in multi-kilometer traffic jams, both in buses and in their own cars.

Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle wrote that despite the focus on mid-rise construction, Almaty does not plan to completely abandon high-rise buildings. Skyscrapers may appear in the new business center near Lake Sayran.