Over the past few decades, our town and city centres have undergone significant changes. The deteriorating air quality, difficulties in accessing businesses, the congested traffic, and the safety hazards posed by vehicles are not just by-products of economic development but a clear indication of the impact on people’s health and well-being. These issues demand immediate attention to prevent more severe consequences in the future.
As urban dwellers and local government administrators become increasingly conscious of the corrosive effects of cars and air pollution on our lives and lungs, cities are reclaiming their streets. This trend is slowly (very slowly) catching up in Malta.
The Local Councils Association president, Mario Fava, is championing the Slow Streets projects, which aim to put pedestrians first. These projects, with their focus on traffic-calming measures in town centres and redirecting traffic to the peripheries, promise a future of safe, sustainable, healthy, and efficient local mobility. However, Fava is struggling to secure the necessary financial support from the government to realise this vision. Air pollution is at a crisis level in most urban centres.
The uncontrolled increase of vehicles on our roads, especially in the last decade, makes the pedestrianisation of our town centres a pressing priority. The dominance of cars in urban planning must not remain unassailable.
Regrettably, the Mosta local council has turned the clock back by backtracking on its plans to convert the town centre into a pedestrian-only zone on weekends. While it is understandable for some residents and businesses to have reservations about restricting motorised vehicle access in town centres, local councils must always seek the community’s long-term benefit.
Dozens of studies suggest the business pain of pedestrianisation is short-term and that over time, it leads to better business outcomes and a healthier quality of life for residents.
People are more likely to visit and spend time in an area that is pedestrian-friendly, while also benefiting local businesses.
A car-free environment paves the way for outdoor cafes, street art and markets, and events thrive in pedestrianised zones. Freed from traffic, streets can be redesigned with greenery and other features that enhance the town’s aesthetic appeal. Pedestrian-friendly areas often become more desirable places to live, work, and visit. In a nutshell, this will all enrich community life.
Of course, there are pros and cons to closing part of the town centre to weekend traffic. Replacing asphalt with cobblestones or placing planters in city centres to make cities more pleasant for their residents and more respectful of the environment is not a miracle tool without disadvantages.
Disadvantages arise when cars are eradicated from towns and cities using legal notices or local council directives without proper planning and execution and without offering sustainable mobility options for affected people.
When areas are closed to vehicles, they do not just disappear. Instead, they concentrate on nearby roads, leading to potential traffic problems elsewhere.
Even more importantly, the government must abandon its inaction strategy of traffic management and implement an action-centred plan to reduce the number of cars on our roads.
The pedestrianisation of our town centres can be challenging in a small, overbuilt island with ribbon development that leaves little space for bypass roads. Some towns, especially in Gozo, have more scope for promoting pedestrianisation as their urban landscape is less congested. Creating the right environment to embrace pedestrianisation will ultimately depend on how fast the addiction to economic growth-at-all-costs is reversed to prioritise the community’s long-term well-being over short-term economic considerations.