Malta’s capital city, Valletta should be the first Green City or town in Malta by 2030.
Following the success of Valletta’s economic, social and cultural regeneration and the Valletta 2018 legacy, the Valletta Cultural Agency is now working on a long-term vision for a cleaner and greener city that offers a better quality of life for communities and for visitors.
This vision for our capital is achievable but there must be a collective and national effort to reach it by 2030.
The agency has given proof of this vision with the regeneration of the Old Abattoir (Il-Biċċerija l-Antika) as the new Valletta Design Cluster. A centuries-old building, derelict for the past 40 years, has been developed into a first-of-its-kind design cluster for the Maltese islands.
As the first sustainable building, it is an example for the planning of green cities in Malta. It can be considered to be a pilot project for the government and other authorities of how to scale up green infrastructure.
This community space for cultural and creative practice has a roof garden which helps increase oxygen in our atmosphere while also contributing a green public space in a fortified urban city.
The Valletta Design Cluster also makes use of solar energy, generated from a glass canopy installed atop the central courtyard which has in-built photovoltaic cells.
Valletta cannot only rely on the success and the green planning of the design cluster but needs a bold strategy and vision to reach our goal of becoming a Green City by 2030.
The agency has sent its proposals to the finance ministry as part of the pre-budget consultation.
It proposes that the government incentivise and encourage Valletta communities, shops, other businesses and government buildings to switch to solar energy.
As from 2030, new permits for hotels, holiday apartments, restaurants and other entertainment venues should be granted only if they are 100 per cent eco-friendly.
A cleaner and greener city that offers a better quality of life for communities and for visitors- Jason MIcallef
By 2025, Valletta should have a number of rooftop gardens on historical buildings such as Spazju Kreattiv, the parliament building and auberges. The Valletta Design Cluster rooftop is a prime example how this should be done.
By 2023, all vehicles providing services in Valletta, including waste collection, must all be electrically powered and of one specific size, respecting the narrow streets of Valletta and its environment.
By 2023, all services for Valletta, including delivery trucks, must be provided on specific days and times of the week according to a schedule in agreement with the concerned owners. There needs to be a great effort to reduce traffic, which is one of the main air polluters in the city, damaging restored buildings.
By 2030, only electric vehicles should be permitted into Valletta.
By 2023, the transportation of people to and from the Park and Ride in Blata l-Bajda should be operated by 100 per cent battery-run vehicles.
More pedestrian areas and squares should be created, such as parts of St Christopher Street and Archbishop Street in the stretch between the police station and the Archbishop’s Palace to Independence Square, including the square itself in front of St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral.
The police station itself should be shifted to a more centralised location, namely the derelict arcade in Freedom Square in front of parliament. The government should regenerate this spacious building, which it owns, to give a facelift to Valletta’s entrance.
Supported by the successful story of Valletta 2018 and the economic, social and cultural regeneration that happened between 2013 and 2018, and its legacy which is there for all to see, our vision for Valletta as a Green City by 2030 is achievable.
There needs to be a concerted effort by all stakeholders involved, foremost of which is the government and its many respected authorities.
The Valletta Cultural Agency remains committed to reach its 2030 goal by investing in more green projects like the Valletta Design Cluster and in festivals and other events with a common goal, that of making Valletta the first Green City in Malta.