Urban economics and competitiveness
Transportation policies
Urban sustainability
Ph.D in Public Policy (in progress)
Graduate Teaching Assistant (in progress)
Master in Public Policy 2024-2026
Executive Education
2025
BBA in Business Management
2020-2024
🔎 Alikhan Kusherbayev, Bakhtiyar Mussabayev
📚 Target journal: Journal of Cycling and Micromobility Research
Abstract
The state apparatus in Kazakhstan enjoys reporting the introduction of new infrastructure in kilometers, square and cubic meters. The same conventional reporting is applied to kilometers of cycling infrastructure in cities. Despite the investments, Astana has not yet become a bike-friendly city. This study is not researching the causal interaction between new infrastructure and new micromobility commuters, due to the lack of pre/post data in the setting of the city. Rather, this research asks a narrower question on the infrastructure: in the places where the bike infrastructure exists, does it meet the quality, continuity and space-allocation conditions associated in the literature with comfortable cycling and e-mobility commuting, and do riders actually use them as intended?
In order to answer the research question, this research will make a cross-sectional mixed methods comparison between four facility types on 20 sites in the city, which include separated tracks on streets, recreational paths, shared sidewalks, and no-facility controls. Sites, intersections and surrounding areas, will be set using data from Strava Metro, analyzing bike-intensive sites, which have or do not have micromobility infrastructure.
The core behavioral outcome can be directly observed by lane bypass rate - the share of riders who avoid a provided facility, using sidewalk or car lanes instead. Single metrics cannot explain the whole image, thus the research will make a triangulation of methods, which include: bypass rate; segment-quality audits, primary-collected data on separation, crossings, width and obstructions; repeated instrumented rides, which will provide speed and overall comfort of the rider; semi-structured interviews with users; and desk-based analyses of network continuity and demand-adjusted road-space allocation.
The study evaluates five hypotheses concerning micromobility infrastructure: bypass is prevalent and facility-type dependent; segment-level quality attributes provide greater explanatory power for facility use rather than a length-based measure of bike lanes; discontinuities in infrastructure contribute to more time spent and more conflict points; alocation of street space and expenditure disfavors cyclists; and rider-reported constraints differ from those identified through the bike infrastructure audit.
This research project is going to be the first to understand the nature of the bike and micromobility infrastructure in Astana and Central Asia using instruments and infrastructure audits, which also will provide evidence and research based recommendations for the transportation policies in Kazakhstan and post-Soviet cities.
🔎 Alikhan Kusherbayev
📚 Target journal: Cities
Abstract
This research examines how public policy decisions on urban governance and spatial inequalities shape the ability of established and emerging financial hubs of Asia to attract talents. It compares leading policies in Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai and Seoul with policies of Astana and Tashkent using mixed-methods design to combine spatial and socio-economic indicators with public policy analysis. The study uses global city theory and policy mobility frameworks to assess which factors are determining Generation Z’s relocation choices. Factors include institutional arrangements, housing affordability, transit infrastructure, and neighbourhood quality. By analyzing policies beyond tax and regulatory incentives, this research explores transferability of Far East hubs' experience on the policy landscape of Central Asia. The project contributes to debates on comparative urbanism, policy transfer, and public finance. The research will offer practical guidance to emerging hubs inside and outside Central Asia seeking to strengthen their position in the global competition for talent.
🔎 Alikhan Kusherbayev, Almas Iskendirov, Alibek Aubakir
📚 Journal: ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global
Abstract
One of the key components of democratic societies are competitive elections. President Tokayev initiated a unique power transition in Kazakhstan by enabling elections of the local executive branch by the people. This study examines the competitiveness of local elections of akims (mayors) in Kazakhstan using a combined analysis of quantitative evidence from the electoral commissions and qualitative data gathered from the interviews and focus groups meetings.
Quantitative data describes how components, such as proximity to the regional urban centres and winning candidates’ gender, age, incumbency and party affiliation, predict the competition for the seat of akim. Interviews provide more in-depth insights regarding the factors which influenced the competition in respective districts. The regression results and analysis of stakeholders reviews can fill in the gaps in literature and help understand the electoral processes in Kazakhstan deeper and deliver necessary takeaways for underrepresented groups and new candidates
🔎 Dinmukhamed Ushpayev, Alikhan Kusherbayev
📚 Journal: Journal of Urban Technology
📤 Out for review
Abstract
This paper presents ATLAS (Aerial Traffic and Logistics Analysis System), a drone-based traffic monitoring system designed to address growing urban transportation challenges in emerging cities. By leveraging unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with advanced computer vision – specifically a fine-tuned YOLO (You Only Look Once) object detection model – and Apple’s consumer-grade neural engine hardware for on-device processing, ATLAS offers a cost-effective and flexible alternative to traditional infrastructure-based Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).
The prototype system demonstrated 96% accuracy in real-time vehicle detection and classification during initial tests in Almaty, Kazakhstan. ATLAS’s key innovations include enhanced privacy protection (processing data on-device without transmitting sensitive footage), improved deployment flexibility (rapid setup at any location as needed), and significant cost efficiency (using low-cost drones and laptops instead of expensive fixed cameras).
This paper provides an academic overview of the ATLAS system, comparing it to conventional traffic monitoring approaches and discussing its implications on data accessibility and public policy in developing urban areas contexts. The system aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by enabling more cities and communities to collect and analyse transportation data, thus fostering evidence-based planning.
I am a recognized adviser and scholar at
Member of the Regional Comission on Onomastics
UN Office in Kazakhstan Youth Adviosry Board
Central Asia Youth Advisory Board
Scholarship holder
pursuing-the-dream-of-democracy_final.pdfThis is a research in which I contributed to my supervisor, Prof. Dr. Clifford W. Fraiser, and his recent case study publication on local elections in Kazakhstan together with National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
Rules of Landscaping KZ.pdfThis is one of the strategic documents used by local governments for management of urban greenery, plants and the way to protect them.
resilient_generation_central_asia_europe.pdfConsulting for the UNICEF and European Training Foundation.
5_шагов_чтобы_изменить_Петропавловск_и_любой_город_Казахстана (2).pdfThe "5 steps to change Petropavl and other Kazakh cities" book was written in 2019 and is one of the few examples of thorough urban analysis of the cities made in Kazakhstan.
Исследование Дом №183_Дворы (1).pdfMethods to make the house better fast and cheap uses analysis and 3D sketching offered to the community of the owners of an old "Khruschevka" building in Petropavlovsk. This booklet shares how to make it more convenient and comfortable.
О безопасности пешеходов и (1) (5).pdfResearch document on the way the transportation safety can be achieved in the cities.
Lockdown generation.pdfConsultancy for the project for the UNICEF and European Training Foundation
Bicycle and Micromobility vehicles in Kazakhstan.pdfResearch for International School of Economics of Maqsut Narikbayev University
Moderation of Presentation by Dr. Ing. Tom Assman in collaboration with Kazakh-German University. Here we discuss the need for change from car-centered view to more people-centered cities concept. Including public transit, bikes, e-mobility and sustainability.
In this video I publicaly present the ideas on why Kazakhstan needed separate Ministry for Transportation and further railway reform. These ideas were used later to create such Ministry and develop the national railway operator management.
In this video I made an answer on question posed to professional community of the urbanists on what to do with controversial question of Astana LRT construction which got several thousands of views.
