Spatial and Group Equity of Public Services in Oil-and-Gas Cities: A Cross-National Comparison of China and Kazakhstan

Abstract

Long-term industrial priority development of resource-based cities often squeezes livelihood investment, leading to unbalanced public service distribution, a common problem for oil cities. This paper selects Karamay, China, and Almaty, Kazakhstan, two oil- and gas-related cities as research subjects and compares their levels of spatial accessibility from the perspectives of spatial equity and group equity. The results show Karamay achieves better overall public service equalization, yet road and public transport infrastructure in oil workers' residential areas lags far behind main urban districts. In Almaty, public resources are allocated mainly through market-oriented mechanisms, concentrating high-quality livelihood resources in central urban zones. Suburban settlements for eastern oil-gas workers suffer weak supporting facilities. Income stratification and jobs-housing separation further widen public service access gaps among different groups. Such equity gaps between the two cities stem from distinctions in public service supply systems, industrial spatial layouts and urban planning logics. This research provides references for balancing public resources in domestic resource-based cities, and offers ideas for Chinese-funded energy enterprises to optimize overseas livelihood supporting construction within the Belt and Road framework.