The regeneration of lower Valletta should serve as a blueprint for similar projects, the government said on Thursday. 

Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg and EU Funds parliamentary secretary Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi made the comments during a visit to the area in the capital which had recently undergone extensive regeneration. 

The project involved the regeneration of the fortifications all the way to the Auberge de Baviere and House of Catalunya, including the promenade pavement and the utility connections there.

A total of €2.5 million was spent on the project. 

Addressing the press, Dr Borg said that the project has not only improved the state of the lower parts of Valletta but it will also serve to encourage more investment in the area by the private sector. 

“Life been brought back into the Capital with economic activity here booming as more residents are choosing to live here,” Dr Borg said. 

It was also important to ensure transport in the capital is sustainable, he said.

On his part, Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi said that previous efforts to regenerate certain areas seemed to only focus on the “infrastructural fabric”, limited to restoration or certain specific areas. 

“We had been lacking the sort of regeneration projects that Valletta really and truly needed. Today we are seeing a series of projects by the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation (GHRC) which focused on the people and not just the buildings,” the parliamentary secretary said.

The project unveiled on Thursday is part of a wider €24 million EU-funded project.