Abstract
The article examines the role of single-industry towns in the structure of the national economy of Kazakhstan and special difficulties in achieving sustainable development. These cities are heavily dependent on a limited number of industrial enterprises, which threatens their development. The main tasks include monoculturalization of the economy, growing socio economic difficulties, environmental problems and demographic changes. To address these issues, this study focuses on the best international practices. In this study, in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the problems and possible solutions for single-industry towns in Kazakhstan, a comparative analysis is carried out and the collected data is analyzed with international examples to identify applicable strategies that can be adapted to the Kazakh context. Economic diversification is important to reduce dependence on one branch of industry. For example, Japan and Germany have been successful in diversifying their economies using new technologies and innovative methods. Despite the fact that Kazakhstan is mainly a metallurgical Center, cities such as Temirtau are exploring opportunities for the development of Tourism and small and medium-sized businesses. Infrastructure modernization is also an important factor, as outdated infrastructure hinders economic and social development. The experience of the Chinese city of Shenzhen shows that it is possible to invest in modern infrastructure and change the economic climate.