Community-led urban interventions are shaped by uncertainties that affect their initiation, development, operation, and short- and long-term outcomes. Existing research offers insights into participatory practices but lacks a comprehensive framework for understanding how community initiatives evolve under uncertain conditions. In this paper, we develop a realist, process-oriented framework that integrates the logic model, uncertainty analysis, and context–mechanism–outcome configurations to examine the lifecycle of urban interventions and the effects of community-based mechanisms on these processes. The framework distinguishes six types of uncertainty: ambiguity, variability, event, systemic, ecological, and epistemic. It is then applied to seven community-led urban interventions across diverse contexts. The findings suggest that specific uncertainties can be associated with particular mechanisms: ambiguity with sense-making and co-design; variability with coordination, stewardship, and adaptive learning; and systemic uncertainty with sense-making. Additionally, similar mechanisms can produce different outcomes when operating in different contexts. The main output of the paper is a realist evaluation framework for understanding how community-led urban interventions respond to different types of uncertainty and support the social, environmental, governance, and learning dimensions of sustainability while helping practitioners and policymakers mobilize appropriate mechanisms under specific conditions of uncertainty.

Kazakhstani architecture must move beyond viewing modularity as an industrial necessity, treating it instead as a framework to encode and preserve cultural memory. Through experimental prototyping and semiotic modeling, this study demonstrates that modularity functions as a living language rather than a rigid standardization. We extend Dyussenova’s metaphysical work on Kazakhstan’s architectural "genetic code" by offering a practical implementation mechanism for the semiotic-modular matrix. Furthermore, while previous research (e.g., Ostapenko et al.) reduced architectural symbols to surface decoration, our approach embeds deep meaning into physical structures and shapes. For instance, in “The Fractured Corridor”, structural “trauma” is conveyed through a broken, mismatched floor, evoking visceral disorientation in the observer. By applying Peirce’s sign theory within a computer-aided design (CAD) workflow, we decompose architectural elements into iconic, indexical, and symbolic signs. This system enables architects to algorithmically design spatial environments that embody authentic cultural and emotional narratives rather than mere decorative motifs.

Urban digitalization requires not only geometric and functional modeling, but also a systematic interpretation of the symbolic and perceptual meanings embedded in public space. This review article examines how digital technologies can support the semiotic modeling of Almaty's public spaces and proposes an integrated analytical framework for research and design. The study combines a review of national and international publications with a case-based analysis of key public spaces in Almaty using GIS and BIM materials, field observations, photo documentation, and comparative semiotic coding of architectural and digital elements. A symbolic-semantic consistency coefficient k is introduced as a comparative indicator for assessing the alignment between the spatial image, local cultural codes, and digital interventions; the coefficient is used for relative comparison of cases rather than as an absolute metric. The results identify typical gaps in current practice, including fragmented data, weak coordination between design stages, and insufficient interpretation of local identity, and demonstrate how GIS/BIM models, digital twins, and immersive visualization tools can be integrated into a unified semiotic analysis workflow. The proposed approach can improve design decisions, preserve place identity, and support the sustainable development and management of public spaces in Almaty.