Expo 2017 will significantly change the city of Astana: this is the leitmotiv of the project drawn up by "Astanagenplan", the Institute for Urban Planning in charge of the urban development of the Kazakh capital, and presented to the citizens of Astana on February 10-12.

The new project, which will be completed by 2030, represents a change from the city's previous development plan formulated in 2001 by integrating the infrastructure necessary for the hosting of Expo 2017 into the Astana urban plan. According to the experts of "Astanagenplan" Astana will have 900,000 inhabitants by 2017 and slightly more than 1,2 million by 2030. Its surface area will remain the same - 175,444 acres. The urban plan will ensure a balanced development of the capital by improving mobility, developing the suburbs and by introducing strict rules regarding the use of the urban area.

In this context, important investments in transport infrastructures are planned: Astana will have a new railway station with a capacity for 35,000 people per day, two bus stations and a completely modernized airport. The city traffic will be smoother and less polluting thanks to a better organization of flows, to an 8 way-ring road and to the creation of interchange stations. A modern high-speed tram network will be designed with one line dedicated to the connexion between the airport and the city centre.

The ecological aspects are also taken into consideration. Half of the Kazakh capital surface area will be occupied by green spaces, easily accessible to inhabitants and tourists. Significant improvements in the supply systems and water treatment are planned.

The project of Expo Astana 2017 fits in well with the long-term development plans of the city of Astana. The Expo site will be used for the completion of the "Left Bank" neighbourhood. After the event, some buildings on the previous Expo site will be included in the Nazarbayev University complex, located nearby. Several pavilions, the business centre and the hotels will allow the creation of an important business district and an exhibition complex.