For national governments, the importance of regional development policies reflects two important realities: first, people’s well-being is strongly influenced by where they live and work; and, secondly, it is often possible to identify opportunities and potential policy complementarities at local or regional level that are not apparent from national capitals. Leveraging this potential creates a double dividend, increasing both aggregate productivity and inclusion. This Policy Insight discusses how Kazakhstan can improve its regional development policy by adopting a more bottom-up, place-based approach in areas where a high degree of centralisation has sometimes prevailed. It suggests the development of place-based policy processes and tools to support economic activities based on the identification and mobilisation of local strengths and assets, and to realise further agglomeration potential. It also discusses ways to strengthen a multilevel governance framework that enables the delivery of such policies.