Numerous authors have debated the fine line between urban vitality and liveability, particularly when prioritising vitality strategies at the expense of liveability objectives. These debates are even more heightened in tourism-dependent contexts. This is epitomised by Malta’s capital city, Valletta – a UNESCO World Heritage site undergoing rapid transformation that has in turn brought about numerous placemaking challenges. The city’s urban structure, defined by its strict geometry, underwent numerous cycles of adaptation and restructuring along the centuries. Its main challenges, however, have come about more recently, as a result of several phenomena that are worth exploring, not least those related to its designation as European Capital of Culture in 2018. Importantly, the paper centres on the policy regime, discussing how planning policies have been created, and modified, to suit, foster and indeed accelerate Valletta’s commercialisation, with significant consequences to liveability. Building on an ongoing nine-year research project, the paper discusses the city’s changing land use profile, through development planning permits issued in the run-up to, and post-, 2018. Using textual analyses as an analytical technique, the paper brings together results from a policy analysis of the Valletta Strategy, a key policy document, and interviews held with key stakeholders. It confronts these opposing agendas and illustrates the outcome of this conflict on the ground, exemplified through incompatible land uses and activities that are plugged into the city fabric. The paper highlights policy deficiencies and questions whether the solutions lie in a rethought policy or other more appropriate approaches.
Dr Antoine Zammit is a Senior Lecturer in spatial planning, urban design and urban governance within the Department of Spatial Planning and Infrastructure at the Faculty for the Built Environment, University of Malta, and founder and director of award-winning boutique architectural and urban design practice, studjurban. Antoine has been extensively involved in practice, research and policy-making and has delivered numerous papers relating to urban design quality, urban design policy-making and responsible design. He has been actively researching Valletta’s urban challenges since 2013.