Re-designing Urban Open Spaces to act as Green Infrastructure: The Case of Malta
If urban open spaces function as green infrastructure they have the potential to contribute towards sustainable development. The poor quality of urban open spaces in Malta suggests that a ‘gap’ exists in their planning and design. This paper discusses some of the results emerging from research which aimed to develop proposals for improving the planning and design of urban open spaces in Malta. It focuses on the spatial implications. Key planning and design principles which should be adopted, to move towards more sustainable and resilient urban spaces which facilitate sustainable mobility amongst other things, are presented. Ultimately, the paper concludes that determining planning and design principles is not sufficient. Barriers are identified which confirm that the success of redesigning urban open spaces to act as green infrastructure is not only a matter of design, but is also dependent on planning processes together with the engagement of stakeholders and suitable governance systems. Read the paper here.
Image source: Sarah Scheiber