May 20, 2025
And why do investors go to a place, where there are no
streets or buildings yet?
The story of Singapore`s urban miracle is best revealed
through the personality of Wong Heang Fine.Singapore's renowned urban environment expert doesn't just
design cities - he envisions what they will be like decades from now. Today mr. Wong is working on the development
of the new Kazakhstani city – Alatau city. Why this project is called the
flagship of new urbanism and why you should pay attention to it now, Wong Heang
Fine told in an exclusive interview with Forbes Kazakhstan.
- Mr Wong, why did you decide to participate in the development
of Alatau City? What is your area of responsibility in this project?
- I was
inspired not only by the ambition of the project, but also by the internal
logic with which it was formulated. I saw a rare combination in Alatau City:
clear vision, political will, institutional openess, and a willingness to build
not facades, but managed architecture with a sustainable environment. I am designing
the logic of the future city: what it will represent, how it will grow, which
economic models will take root in it, and which ones are not worth even trying.
In addition, I am involved in building the regulatory and administrative
architecture that will make the city investment-friendly for Kazakhstani and
international capital. In Alatau city, I saw a chance to apply my accumulated knowledge
of urbanism without the bureaucratic constraints of big cities, without having
to patch up the mistakes of the past, an opportunity to apply best practices
and avoid the typical mistakes of overload, chaotic development or economic
distortion. This is a project that has a goal from the very beginning, where
you can set a high bar and keep it.
- President Tokayev has appointed you as the chief consultant
in the design and construction of Alatau city. How does the personal
involvement of the Head of State affect the attractiveness of the project?
- First-person
support is the signal that the project is included in the long-term development
guidelines of the country. We are talking about building an environment with clear
jurisdiction, regulations, the mechanisms of participation and management,
independent of personal decisions. This is the key factor for investors, a sign
that the city will develop according to stable, predictable rules, regardless
of the political context.
Read more: https://forbes.kz/articles/gorod-operezhayushiy-svoe-vremya-kak-pod-almaty-stroyat-alatau-city