Leading the way for progressive and sustainable cities

With our everincreasing population comes increased urbanisation. Urbanisation which brings about several challenges including increase in greenhouse gases and harmful emissions.

Cognisant to the fact that every city has its own story, many of our cities face the same challenges. A transformation of our urban spaces into leaders and drivers in sustainability and resilience is the way forward. The case has been made and the time is now. Catering for sustainable living and sustainable cities is the only future that our people, our environment and our economy truly deserve.

The creation of safe, resilient, and sustainable cities relies on various factors and this transformation cannot be achieved alone or in isolation. Action and active participation needs to trickle through all levels of government and all levels of society. Our Ministry’s vision is already leading this way forward.

One pivotal moment for this vision was the launch of the Intelligent Planning Consultative Forum (IPCF) in 2020. Our cities depend heavily on the work and passion of all those who contribute in the areas of our built environment. The IPCF brings together these key stakeholders within the areas of development, planning and environment to identify proposals for immediate action in the concept of intelligent planning in Malta. Furthermore, through the Climate Action Board’s (CAB) responsibility to monitor progress and to facilitate the coherent implementation of Malta’s commitments relating to climate action, its subcommittee has also been reflecting on proposals in relation to carbon neutrality from the building and construction sector. The role of these forums are also crucial in terms of the quality of life and wellbeing of our society and communities which is also impacted by our built environment.

Designing our living environment needs to also ensure that we safeguard our heritage value and protect scheduled buildings and monuments. The publication of clearer guidelines by the Planning

Authority on how to identify, interpret and treat the context of scheduled buildings is key. The right balance between innovative and sustainable solutions needs to be found to respect adequate blending within our surroundings.

Our urban areas also need to become greener. Another way of delivering this vision is through the ‘Green Your Life’ concept. An initiative worth €2 million financed by the Planning Authority, currently open for applications until 7 May 2021 known as the ‘Green Your Building’ scheme is there to facilitate the creation of green facades. Moreover, Ambjent Malta’s initiative for our first ever green walls, such as the project in the locality of Paola on the Corradino Correctional Facility building, and other green spaces in urban zones not only aim at improving the physical and mental wellbeing of citizens but also act as natural purifiers, absorbing carbon dioxide and increasing oxygen levels. Additionally, greener planning helps combat urban heat, generated by human activities, by decreasing temperatures in urban areas.

The Development Planning Fund (DPF) aims at mitigating the negative effects of urban development. The intention is for this fund to lead to more environmental and green projects in our Maltese and Gozitan localities. Action to pave the way towards more sustainable cities needs to flow throughout all levels of society. Local councils, NGOs and third parties are encouraged to actively tap into this fund which is available for their projects to increase Green and Blue environmental infrastructure in our urban areas and make their localities greener and more inclusive for their communities. Much has already been done and just this month it was a pleasure to see the locality of Mosta benefit from this through urban embellishment projects, including the paving of roads and the creation of an outdoor gym. These will materialise in benefitting the wider residential community and improvements in its local facilities. More investments of this kind to improve Malta’s quality of life and shift towards a greener vision for our localities are much needed.

Our investment in ECOHIVE, which will revolutionise our waste management system is integral in setting the pace for a circular economy, as is the importance of choices made by each and every individual at prevention, separation and disposal stage. Our recently-launched Long-Term Waste Management Plan also highlights the role of the private sector which is encouraged to invest in processes to create value-added to the resource generated from waste and close the circular economy loop.

As acknowledged by Malta’s upcoming 2050 Low-Carbon Development Strategy, the negative impact that transport has on our emission levels is clearly known. Without a doubt, sustainable cities need initiatives which contribute to a reduction in transport-related GHG emissions. Transport is an area where we will need to witness changes in our country. Cleaner modes of transport will be at the top of our actions to achieve an improvement in our quality standards. As a government, we have already started incentivising the use of electric cars and we will continue to invest in improved infrastructure and to make sustainable modes of transport more accessible.

The recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic should serve as an impetus to set out priorities right and take appropriate actions by focusing on solutions that bring our cities closer to long-term improvements. Sustainable Development Goal 11 is all about making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. These words are not just buzzwords. These are what will shape our future. The recovery plan and the European Green Deal also offer new opportunities. The ball is already rolling. Together we can change our cities. We can make our cities more sustainable. We need to continue working on a better and improved concept for urban living.