Malta as a Walkable City

Appropriating the Island’s Blue Infrastructure

By Text Catalogue (Andrew Darmanin & Ella Fleri Soler) and Raffaella Corrieri

Malta as a Walkable City

Appropriating the Island’s Blue Infrastructure

By Text Catalogue (Andrew Darmanin & Ella Fleri Soler) and Raffaella Corrieri

The rapid urbanisation of the Maltese Islands has led to the construction of vast road networks which prioritise vehicular movement. Pedestrian routes and cycling lanes are largely neglected and uncatered for. When present, they are sporadic and oftentimes dangerous, starting and stopping at a moments’ notice and failing to properly connect different localities. This results in the clogging of roads with traffic, impeding bus routes which offer the only source of public transit. Despite Malta’s small size, rather comparable to a European city, mobility continues to be a challenge on a daily basis.

This proposal offers a solution to the issue of mobility through hacking an already existing local system: A large part of Malta’s blue infrastructure is an extensive network of storm-water runoff systems which divert rainfall out to sea – a reckless strategy for an increasingly arid country. With an average 3,055 hours of sunshine annually, the infrastructure comprising this network is largely idle for a good proportion of the year. What if such runoff networks meanders people from the centre to the coastal territories and instead retains that most precious water?

The idea is to develop a process for appropriating Malta’s existing blue infrastructure networks and adapt them for human mobility. This could include:

Designing an urban toolkit to guide such appropriation through a catalogue of varied approaches applicable to different scenarios and micro contexts. The existing network of canals, bridges, underpasses, tunnels etc already connects and crosses towns and villages. By appropriating these sites the idea can lead to more productive spaces using and enhancing that which is already there.
Promoting a symbiosis between nature and mobility. The approach will need to carefully study ways of adapting to the seasons and rainfall. When rainfall is heavier and the networks need to carry water, the infrastructure will have to hybridize to allow parallel mobility for people. Elevated platforms, raised cycling lanes and embankments are just a few examples of such devices that could be implemented.
Promoting the greening of Malta as a solution to the heat island effect. The limitation of space on the island increasingly results in the takeover of green areas by construction sites and hard, impermeable road surfaces. Aside from this further contributing to the necessity of storm water runoff in the first place, it also significantly contributes to raising the temperature of the island’s atmosphere, making summers even hotter than they should be naturally. Shade will be essential for offering respite from the hot sun in the proposed pedestrian and cycling routes, incentivising the greening of networks. In combining green areas with blue infrastructure, tree roots can find continued access to water supply to create lungs within the towns and villages through which the network passes, significantly cooling down the air.
Investing in blue infrastructure to serve catchment and storage of water, beyond alleviating flood prone areas by directing water runoff to the sea. This proposal can serve as an opportunity to direct attention and investment into stormwater infrastructure which filters and directs water to proper reservoirs that will store it for agricultural and community use during droughts. If implemented correctly, over time, the network can begin to prioritise human mobility, and facilitate groundwater recharge.

This idea can allow us to envision an alternative future for Malta. With an incremental process and implementation, small steps can have long lasting effects in improving quality of life. These are some of the benefits that could be reaped:

A cultural shift towards the mindset of a walkable city through human and community empowerment. This idea provides an alternative mobility and public space network, which encourages opportunity for safe and free movement through space. By connecting isolated localities and communities, the network also facilitates real integration and exchange on a cultural level.
A real solution for decarbonisation and achieving the 15-minute city. Integrating intermodal transport that connects to this network can encourage and empower people to leave their cars behind in favour of walking or cycling. On the scale of a small island it could be possible to create multiple zones connected by a commute of no longer than 15 minutes.
Addressing climate change on a local scale. Despite Malta being a naturally arid climate, recent trends are showing it inching closer to that of a desert, leading to irreversible loss of fauna and flora and increased pressures on farmers who rely on rainfall to sustain their yield. Providing bottom-up carbon neutral solutions can aid in combating climate change and restoring the Mediterranean islands’ natural climate patterns – potentially saving the country from imminent drought and desertification.