INSTITUTIONAL INERTIA OF URBAN PLANNING REGULATIONS AS A BARRIER TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: FROM THE SOVIET PARADIGM TO COMMERCIAL URBANIZATION (THE CASE OF ASTANA)

Abstract

Modern concepts of sustainable development and environmental justice face significant institutional barriers in transition economies. This study aims to identify the structural dependence of modern urban planning regulations in the Republic of Kazakhstan (using Astana as a case study) on the Soviet paradigm, demonstrating that institutional inertia blocks the realization of "Just City" principles. The research employs genetic analysis of legal acts (SN 41-58; SNiP 2.07.01-89*; SNiP RK 3.01-01As-2007; SNiP RK 3.01-02As-2016) and hierarchical modeling of planning priorities, triangulated with empirical spatial data (SUDI, NDVI). Three historical regulatory models are identified: declarative-idealistic (1958), industrial-residual (1989), and the contemporary model of commercial urbanization. The results reveal that the rigid functional zoning of the mid-20th century has transformed into legalized mechanisms of space monetization. The study proves that current regulations legalize "imitation ecology" (substituting soil-based greening with artificial surrogates) and the utilitarian development of sanitary buffers, thereby driving spatial inequality and environmental privilege. The conclusion emphasizes the need for a radical revision of building codes towards adaptive norms that ensure the protection of living ecosystems and procedural justice.