Rapid and often chaotic urbanisation in post-Soviet cities such as Almaty challenges the quality, availability, and accessibility of public spaces for residents, given the cities’ historical development. Meanwhile, global research is focused on the concepts of Third Places, coworking spaces in the Western context, and urban experience in cities with transitional economies, but the heritage of centrally planned urban development lacks spatial explicit analysis. The purpose of the current study is to analyse the evolution, current situation, and distribution of collaborative spaces (public spaces that combine work and connectedness) in Almaty. The methodology includes four phases of qualitative analysis: (1) a historical–typological analysis of architectural functions since the beginning of the 20th century until the 2025, (2) spatial mapping analysis of the existing typologies such as libraries, museums, coworking spaces, research and development (R&D) institutions and universities, and community centres, (3) longitudinal statistical analysis, and (4) historical graphic analysis. Analysis is conducted through the lens of advanced levels of human needs that concern self-education and self-development. This approach helped to propose a new definition of collaborative space. The results also show examples of sustainable urban structure with collaborative spaces in Almaty’s old centre (“Zolotoi Kvadrat”—Golden Square) and a critical deficit of new multifunctional spaces for work and socialisation in recently developed districts. The study reveals that Almaty’s evolution occurred through incremental infill development over the old grid, without the integrated development of the public realm and existing structural connections. As a result, the research explores the connection between collaborative spaces and their indirect influence on the general well-being in Almaty.

Introduction: The article carried out work on the study of the formation of the comfort of living in the Almaty city, the Republic of Kazakhstan. Materials and Methods: Analysis of the natural, historical and architectural and planning prerequisites for the emergence and development of the concepts of "living environment", "urban environment", "image of the city" as a space for meeting the needs of residents - economic and household, consumer, educational, cultural, etc. Results and Discussion: The work is based on publications of authoritative sources, and reflects the directions of the authors' research in the framework of scientific research and pedagogical work in the field of design of the architectural environment. Conclusions: The work is based on the following basic elements: urban housing is part of a large system of the urban environment of the city with varying degrees of interconnections; the design of the architectural environment is a specialty that takes into account the formation of the subject-spatial environment, as well as the issues of its qualitative functioning in accordance with the needs of the individual and society as a whole; regardless of the initial qualities, the architecture, the subject-spatial environment of the dwelling and the city acquire the features of regionality as it functions; regional style is a materialized subject-spatial object created on the basis of a cultivated aesthetic image and way of being in a given area.

The 1960s to early 1990s marked a pivotal era in Kazakhstan’s mass housing history, particularly in Almaty, which was driven by a sector-wide policy shift toward apartment-based occupancy, regulated space standards, full utility provision, and organised residential courtyards. Large-panel buildings from this period still comprise over one-third of Almaty’s housing stock, yet their alignment with modern comfort standards remains understudied. This study establishes a historical periodisation of Almaty’s large-panel housing and assesses its comfort levels at apartment and built-environment scales. The two-part methodology combined a theoretical strand (comfort-level theory, literature review, historical retrospective, and periodisation) with an analytical strand (comparative graphical-analytical assessment of series 1Kz-464-AS, 1Kz-464-DS, 69, E-147 and 158), converging in a Basic–Supplementary–Advanced comfort classification. The results of the current study showed that three sub-periods emerged. Series 1Kz-464-AS and 1Kz-464-DS used a narrow-bay (2.6–3.2 m), economy-driven two-bay system with minimal zoning. Series 69 widened bays to 3.6–5.4 m, improving spatial comfort and utility provision. Series E-147 and 158 introduced a three-bay scheme with an added 2.1 m bay and raised ceilings (3.0 m), yielding the most flexible layouts. At the urban scale, microdistrict planning enlarged planning units by 7–10 times, preserved green connectivity through mid-rise buildings, and shielded courtyards using perimeter high-rises, supporting walkable, infrastructure-rich neighbourhoods. Apartment-scale comfort improved incrementally through bay widening rather than layout diversification, leaving persistent redevelopment constraints from panel structures. Built-environment comfort, however, reached a comparatively advanced, durable standard. Adaptive reuse should prioritise structural refurbishment, reduced occupancy density, courtyard–microdistrict continuity, and diversified public-space functions. This study’s results can inform renovation strategies for Soviet-era housing across post-Soviet cities.

This study examines Almaty's urban environment as a system of impressions and images, using a comparative analysis of three streets: Dostyk Avenue, Raiymbek Batyr Avenue, and Navoi Street. The research is motivated by the need to clarify how different types of urban streets shape the city's architectural image, cultural identity, and visual perception. The study is based on a comparative urban analysis that combines morphological interpretation, visual-spatial analysis, field observations, photographic documentation, and an assessment of the historical, functional, environmental, and symbolic characteristics of the selected streets. A unified analytical framework was applied to evaluate historical-cultural significance, compositional integrity, functional diversity, pedestrian accessibility, greenery and environmental comfort, safety, symbolic expressiveness, and each street's contribution to Almaty's image. The results demonstrate that the three streets play different roles in the city's structure. Dostyk Avenue functions as the most compositionally coherent and culturally saturated urban axis; Raiymbek Batyr Avenue acts primarily as a transport corridor that retains important markers of historical memory but has weaker environmental cohesion; Navoi Street reveals considerable landscape and public-space potential, although its spatial structure remains fragmented and insufficiently integrated. The study shows that the image of Almaty is formed not by a uniform urban fabric but by the interaction of streets with different morphological, functional, and symbolic qualities. The findings may be used in urban planning and architectural practice to preserve urban identity, improve pedestrian and public spaces, and strengthen the visual and compositional coherence of the urban environment.