When Carmel Borg bought his house in 1995, the major buying point was the unobstructed 360 degree view of the island from his rooftop.

“Now I’m lucky if I can strategically place my head and view 40 degrees,” he says.

His experience of the construction phenomenon – of having, like many other Maltese, to deal with the noise, dust, rapidly changing streetscape and receding skyline – has prompted him to write a book for children that explores the themes of overdevelopment and critical thinking.

Id-Dar ta’ Faċċata tells the story of young Pawlu, who is dealing with the demolition of a house in his neighbourhood.

It is the first of a series to be published by Dr Borg, an associate professor and former dean at the Faculty of Education, with illustrations by Steve Bonello,

“It is not just overdevelopment that is really of concern but the ugly development,” Dr Borg told Times of Malta.

“What is intriguing is the fact that urban planners are all qualified… so there seems to be a correlation between certification, qualification and the uglification of the island… I refer to it as the adoration of mediocrity.” 

Carmel Borg feels the University of Malta needs to do 'some soul searching'. Photo:Chris Sant Fournier

The destruction of the environment he inhabits begins to shake the foundations of Pawlu’s identity

In his view, this should prompt institutions like the University of Malta to do some “soul searching.”

“Is there enough within our courses which would help would-be professionals to value the importance of designing and planning with aesthetics in mind?” he questions.

The book is autobiographical. As Pawlu grieves for the space where he used to play, and the trees and birds, there is the sense of a traditional way of life is being lost. The destruction of the environment he inhabits begins to shake the foundations of Pawlu’s identity.

But while he can do very little to change what is happening around, “ma waqafx jistaqsi” [he questioned all the time]. In a country where people often face harsh consequences for asking the wrong questions, the importance of this act cannot be overstated.

“We have a curricular experience that is increasingly becoming sacrificed on the altar of economics,” Dr Borg says.

“And because of this, issues like critical thinking become marginalised. This is happening in our education system. There is very little critical engagement with the world, and obviously the first step in transformation, the first step in social change, has to be this critical engagement.” Some may have already assumed that mantle. Tensions arising from overdevelopment came to a head last month, when three buildings collapsed, sparking protests against the unchecked power of the developers.

The protests were led by the NGO Moviment Graffitti which drew attention to the need for better regulation of the industry and the plight of residents whose quality of life was being impacted.