I am tired of signing petitions against horrendous- looking buildings that are ruining our historical sites. I am fed up with the disorganised planning that has led to the demise of any form of synchronicity across the islands. And, most of all, I am furious with the blatant and overt law breaching when it comes to outside development zones (ODZ) and the preservation of historical sites.

We boast, and rightly so, of our admirable renaissance architecture and baroque-style churches, the beautiful bastioned fortifications and the remarkable neoclassical architecture that were all left behind by our many different rulers. We are lucky enough to even possess some very unique megalithic temples and the oldest free-standing infrastructures in the world, older than the Great Egyptian Pyramids themselves.

Stupendous as that may very well sound, it is all, I feel, very much underappreciated. Last year, we were proudly celebrating the 40th anniversary since UNESCO declared the Ġgantija Temples a World Heritage Site in 1980, and, this year, we are faced with a proposal for a five-storey apartment block overlooking these same prestigious temples.

It sounds utterly preposterous and outlandish to me that such a proposal should even be considered in the first place. However, the grim statistics that we are met with reveal that, perhaps, it is not so unusual, after all.

Figures relating to development permits proposed in Gozo show that there has been more than a 240 per cent increase since 2013. If that percentage didn’t already cause a paroxysm of rage within you, I can assure you that the next one will.

More than 20 per cent of permits issued for the year, as of February 2021, were in ODZ land. Just to mention some very recent occasions to highlight the ongoing rampage: the Environment Resources Authority said no environment impact assessment is needed for the Msida Creek project; a 31-storey hotel at Fort Cambridge has been proposed disregarding the outspoken concerns regarding the Sliema skyline; and the Townsquare project developers, that have already had a seven-level office building block approved in Sliema, now aim for a 10-storey hotel instead, and so it goes.

I am tired of reading articles with disappointing headlines like these. Why must we burden our landscapes with such muck? Why do we continue to slash in concrete into even the smallest crook and cranny we find? Do we not have enough already? Must we really push our land to its absolute limit? Are we really not aware of the countless benefits green spaces have to offer? Or are we just ignoring them because of the assumed trade-off such opportunities would have?

Are we not aware of the countless benefits green spaces have to offer?- Francesca Grillo

I have so many questions to which I don’t get answers because of incompetent authorities. I must admit that I am usually quite an optimist but I’m really starting to wonder how many more unsightly and abhorrent buildings must be constructed before the island looks like a cesspit.

In my studies last year, I learned about biophilic design, an approach to architecture which aims to connect the building’s occupants more closely with nature by incorporating factors such as natural lighting and features that mimic nature to create a more productive and stress-free environment.

I am in no way promoting the idea of constructing more buildings as we do not need them but if the authorities are to disregard this plea, concepts such as biophilic design should be given their due importance.

As a consequence of the ongoing pandemic, we are now spending longer hours confined within the same four walls of our house, more so emphasising the need for a healthy environment.

Looking out the window only to see a monotonous spectrum of grey doesn’t usually give me any solace, though, perhaps, it may give some to our dear MPs and the Planning Authority board, I suppose.

Biophilic design is not the only way to counteract the grim lay of the land, vertical gardens, vertical forests, rooftop gardens and public green spaces are all a leap forward. Why are such brilliant ideas not put into practice here?

Let’s not turn a blind eye to the increasing horrors that are engulfing us and take off the rose-coloured glasses that distract us from seeing the

irreparable damage we are doing. Sign petitions and voice your opinions louder than ever before. We deserve better than this.

Francesca Grillo is reading for a degree in Earth Systems Science at the University of Malta.