The Urban Marathon city event has launched in Bishkek as part of the Urban Space project, aimed at promoting sustainable urban development and involving young people in shaping the urban environment. The event is organized by the Sustainable Development Initiatives Public Foundation (SDI) with the support of the Bishkek Mayor’s Office and the Global Greengrants Fund. SDI is engaged in the implementation and promotion of social projects, programs and other initiatives in sustainable development in Kyrgyzstan, with a special focus on youth. The Urban Marathon brought together active young citizens and experts seeking solutions to urban challenges.
On October 25, during the second training day of the program, marathon participants learned about the role of digital technologies in urban planning. The speaker of the thematic session “Digital Solutions as a Driver of Smart Cities: From Concept to Reality in Kyrgyzstan” was Pavel Loran, Head of the Representative Office of INTEGRA CITY Group of Companies in Central Asia.
Photo: Urban Marathon, session “Digital Solutions as the Driver of Smart Cities. From Concept to Reality in Kyrgyzstan”
The level of urbanization in Kyrgyzstan is gradually growing and in 2025 reached 42%, which is 7% higher than two years earlier. This trend requires not only urban expansion and infrastructure development, but also comprehensive planning to build comfortable, safe and smart urban conditions where technologies serve people. According to Pavel, a modern city should be a place where data, innovation and people come together to improve quality of life. That is why digital solutions are becoming a key tool in shaping sustainable and livable cities of the future.
Smart City is a system where city management is built on data and automation. The concept includes the following areas:
- Transport and mobility
- Energy and environment
- Safety
- Digital services for citizens
- Smart infrastructure management
During the session, the expert spoke about key digital solutions used in cities and presented examples where artificial intelligence and IoT are already being applied to increase efficiency and improve quality of life. According to a Kept study, Singapore, Moscow, Beijing, London and Shanghai are among the leading smart cities. However, the process of intellectualization and digitalization has already affected capitals, megacities and even small towns in different countries around the world.
Photo: Urban Marathon, session “Digital Solutions as the Driver of Smart Cities. From Concept to Reality in Kyrgyzstan”
Kyrgyzstan is no exception. In his speech, Pavel Loran noted that the country is already taking its first confident steps toward building smart cities: the Safe Country project is being implemented, smart traffic lights, parking systems, meters and pilot projects for video surveillance and transport monitoring are being introduced. However, the speaker emphasized that the key challenge is the lack of integration between systems and unified coordination among agencies and services. A solution could be the creation of a single digital city management platform.
Photo: Urban Marathon, session “Digital Solutions as the Driver of Smart Cities. From Concept to Reality in Kyrgyzstan”
International companies such as INTEGRA CITY offer platform-based solutions for cities. With this approach, transport, utility and administrative infrastructure can be integrated into a single smart ecosystem. The platform analyzes data from multiple sources, identifies risks and helps make decisions before a problem occurs. This makes city management more coordinated, transparent and efficient — from traffic regulation to control over the entire infrastructure.
“A smart city is not about technology for the sake of technology. It is about comfort, safety and people’s quality of life. We want Kyrgyzstan to become an example of how digital solutions can make cities truly smart and sustainable, and we are pleased to share our experience and knowledge with the younger generation of citizens,” commented Pavel Loran.
Photo: Pavel Loran, Head of the INTEGRA CITY Group of Companies’ Representative Office in Central Asia.
At the end of his speech, the expert emphasized the importance of every contribution to improving shared urban space — from authorities, businesses, specialists and each resident.
Danil Tsoi, President of the Sustainable Development Initiatives Public Foundation (SDI), noted: “The Urban Marathon pays special attention to the topic of digital development of the urban environment, where targeted expertise is needed. We are very pleased with the active participation and involvement of INTEGRA CITY Group of Companies in educating our young participants, who will be able to work with experts to develop innovative solutions for our smart city.”
Photo: Danil Tsoi, President of the Sustainable Development Initiatives (SDI) Public Foundation
According to the organizers, the Urban Marathon brought together more than 80 participants — students, young professionals and simply active, engaged citizens. They will go through several more training days and form teams to develop innovative urban projects in digital technologies, architecture, infrastructure and ecology. The event will continue until November 22 and will conclude with an official ceremony where the best project will be selected and the winners awarded.