On Saturday September 7, 2019, hundreds of people crowded the streets of Valletta chanting “Enough is Enough!”

Enough to planning policies that do not respect citizens. Enough to authorities that do not plan properly and do not respect the environment.

Enough to large-scale construction projects, road construction works and lack of transportation planning. Enough to low air quality and lack of preservation of biodiversity. Enough to a construction industry which is allowed to operate in an unregulated manner.

Over 60 NGOs, as well as members of the public, joined the demonstration, expressing their deep dissatisfaction at the way in which the construction industry has taken over and is impacting directly on people’s health, safety and their quality of life.

The Kamra tal-Periti, as one of those organisations that has spoken out regularly on all of these issues, and has collaborated with and gained the respect of various eNGOs over recent years, was invited to attend. We decided not to.

It must be stated that the Kamra is fully supportive of all the concerns raised by the protest, and firmly believes that each of these issues needs to be addressed with immediacy, and in a holistic manner.

However, we also acknowledge that our profession has contributed to the degradation of our urban environment, and therefore our presence would have been nothing short of hypocritical. We purposely chose to stand on the other side of the fence, not because we approve of what the “other side” stands for, but because the protest also brought to the fore our role in the current state of affairs.

It is easy to blame the government and “the developers” for the chaos that reigns in our streets, our towns and villages, for the lack of proper planning and regulation, and for the proliferation of streetscapes that are devoid of any character. It is, invariably, much harder to take an inward look at ourselves and admit that, at least in part, we are complicit.

Are we [periti] not, collectively, one of, if not the main culprits of the ugliness that surrounds us?

True, we have government-approved policies that give a developer the foregone impression that an application for 12-metre high industrial buildings right next door to the Grade 1 scheduled Ottoman-Muslim Cemetery in Marsa, designed by Emanuele Luigi Galizia, may be considered favourably by the Planning Authority.

Yet, there is also a member of the profession who put their name to that application, with little regard to the context and significance of its neighbouring gem.

We have policies that allow the development of gardens within urban areas; yet how many of us would advise a client that less is more, and that preservation of the garden may in fact be beneficial to the resultant project and to its surroundings?

We have policies that allow the development of up to seven floors of apartments in areas previously planned to take two or three, unless one happens to be developing a hotel and can get an extra two floors on that basis. Yet, how many periti actually consider the impact of such developments on the existing streetscapes, and make even the slightest attempt to ensure that the new proposal sits well within its current, and future, context? Are we not, collectively, one of, if not the main culprits of the ugliness that surrounds us?

So, what are we doing to improve things? Over the years, the Kamra tal-Periti has striven to raise the profile of the profession through various means, including its publications, various educational events aimed both at the profession and the general public, and the Premju Galizia which celebrates the outstanding work that our members are capable of producing.

We have also lobbied incessantly for proper planning, for a long-term vision for our islands, and for the introduction of Design Review Panels as one means of ensuring quality development and quality urban spaces.

In recent weeks we have been successful in highlighting the dire need for a better regulatory framework for the construction industry, with the government giving its firm commitment to ensure positive change. In this regard, the Kamra is fully committed to do its part by providing its expertise and its vision to turn this industry into one that places quality at the centre of all that it does.

The Kamra has also been lobbying for over 12 years for important changes to the Periti Act, which will ensure that the profession aligns itself with its European counterparts, including the focus on quality in training, a more rigorous code of professional conduct, and various requirements that will result in a better quality of service by the profession.

We are pleased to note the government’s commitment to table the proposed amendments in Parliament in the coming weeks, and look forward to seeing these brought into force.

Is all this enough to turn the tide? In this case, enough is not enough.

We must continue to strive to place sustainability at the core of our practices and professional responsibilities, to promote and improve standards with the aim of ensuring better quality buildings and open spaces, and to acknowledge the important role that we play in ensuring a better quality of life for our citizens.

We must ensure that the outrage expressed at the protest is translated into better policies and regulations that seek to safeguard our islands for future generations, rather than exploiting them for short-term gain.

The Kamra tal-Periti remains committed to these goals and will continue to up the bar. I invite all members of the profession to strive to do the same.

Perit Simone Vella Lenicker is president, Kamra tal-Periti.