Typically, our immediate conclusion in trying to create new public space for people is that Malta is small, we do not have enough space and it is too late.

However, there is always the opportunity to rethink and reorganise existing public spaces, to create more people-centred spaces which are designed more sustainably.

A recent transformation of a street in Ħamrun illustrates how the opportunity for public space for people is hidden in plain sight.

By transforming a low-trafficked street into a small local playground, the local council has shown how underutilised urban space can be transformed into much-needed recreational areas for young children in the heart of the town.

It also connects the pjazza to the surrounding buildings, a vital design principle for successful public spaces, which many of our public spaces lack due to being surrounded by vehicle-oriented roads.