Imbalances in Kazakhstan’s Smart Cities Development

Abstract

In many cities worldwide, the Smart City concept is used to solve problems that ensure the city’s development. The range of technological solutions applications varies depending on the needs and capabilities of a particular city or country in general. The proverbial all-encompassing meaning of the Smart City definition is not critical; however, it allows for reasonably unambiguous identification of implementation areas and even standardization. Differences in the conditions and goals of implementation are determined by the characteristics of a particular (unique) city, public needs, or demand from citizens for more modern services, and the peculiarities of state regulation and management. In Kazakhstan, the implementation of individual Smart City initiatives began more than 10 years ago. Comprehensive goal setting was carried out in 2017 as part of the Digital Kazakhstan state programme, and a comparative rating for the cities is being calculated from 2020. The article describes and defines the challenges and limitations associated with the unbalanced development measures of Kazakhstan’s cities based on a comparative analysis of indicators that characterize the level of penetration of Smart City technologies. The article substantiates the need to adjust the national policy and change priorities for successful Smart City projects.