Urban open and green spaces : is Malta planning and designing them to increase resilience?

2030 has been set as the target for achieving most of the sustainable development goals and in this path urban open and green spaces have been identified as drivers and accelerators for increasing resilience and adapting cities to climate change. The pandemic has acted as a further catalyst for the reorganization and re-assessment of the role of open spaces. This work focuses on the system of urban open and green spaces whose planning and design, through a systemic approach, can address current and future urban challenges such as climate change. The main aim is to provide local decision-makers with urban open and green spaces planning and design principles based on a mixed-method approach adopting Malta as a case-study. Findings suggest that EU and international strategies advocate open and green spaces as an indisputable requirement for increasing resilience, energy sustainability and adaptive capacity of urban systems. However, in comparison, there is still scope for improvement when considering Malta’s planning framework. While there is a growing sentiment for the appreciation and need of green open spaces from the users, important characteristics are still lacking within the planning processes.peer-reviewe

Developing processes for the co-creation and co-governance of urban green space in dense urban areas : a Maltese case study

The lack of and inequitable access to recreational and green open space in Malta is clearly documented. In an attempt to address social inequalities, research on place-led experimentation as a co-creation and co-governance process is ongoing. A multiple case study and participant action research methodology through the application of placemaking and urban living lab concepts is adopted. Communities are engaged to rethink public spaces as greener places and foster a better relationship with nature while improving the urban environment through nature-based placemaking. The research strives to understand how residents of Maltese localities can be motivated to participate in bettering their urban environment and foster a sense of pride in their spaces. This paper presents the findings of the locality of Senglea case study. A placemaking toolkit, by Placemaking Europe is adapted, applied and analysed within the Maltese context, consisting of a series of workshops to build a relationship with local communities according to their specific needs and desires. This paper provides insight into some of the key learning outcomes emerging from this first case study. Moreover, it puts forth recommendations on how processes for co-creation and co-governance of public spaces in dense urban areas such as Malta may be developed.peer-reviewe

Transforming urban mobility and public space through slow streets. A stakeholder approach

In June 2020 the Local Council Association (LCA) in Malta launched the ‘Slow Streets’ action plan to promote active travel and use public transport, while at the same time provide information to reduce mobility. This paper explores people’s perceptions and opinions towards this action plan, and the opportunities and challenges perceived and anticipated experiences in the future implementation of it. To do this we use two qualitative datasets: people’s perceptions from 84 semi-structured interviews and an N focus group amongst stakeholders. The semi-structured interviews were conducted between February 2022 and April 2022 by intercepting people in the streets of six localities that showed interest in being part of the action plan. The online focus group was conducted in February 2022. The findings show that 66 % of the resident participants were not aware of the action plan, which is of concern when considering the topic of stakeholder involvement. From the qualitative analysis three main themes emerged: car culture, safety and policy. People agreed that there should be permanent interventions to reduce car use. Both stakeholder groups agreed that urban areas should have safe environments for children to play, and engage in sustainable mobility and healthier lifestyles.peer-reviewe

Exploring the potential for timed cities in Malta : the case of Paola

With ever-increasing interest in the Timed City concept and active mobility-related initiatives that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, several cities in the developed Western world have engaged in projects to move towards sustainable mobility. Malta is a car-dependent small Island State with the highest population density in the European Union. Its transport planning policy, leading to ever-increasing car dependency, is having serious detrimental impacts on environmental, social and economic aspects. The archipelago’s urban environment and demographics provide an ideal context for studying the Timed City concept. This research therefore tests the applicability of the Timed City concept to the Maltese context. A mixed method case study methodology is adopted using GIS and PGIS. Paola, a dense urban locality in Malta of over 9000 inhabitants and spanning 2.5 km2, was chosen. Relevant datasets are mapped out in GIS using ArcGIS Desktop 10.8. Qualitative research to gauge the user perspective using PGIS is ongoing. This paper presents the spatial analysis of the quantitative GIS data and discusses the findings in relation to the current literature. Ultimately, the data indicate undiscovered potential for the Timed City concept to be successfully adapted to such urban contexts, while identifying specific areas requiring improvement and concluding with suggestions for policy intervention and future research.peer-reviewe

The potential for Malta’s urban open spaces to act as green infrastructure : considerations for planning and governance

Introduction: Urban concentrations of population, if not appropriately managed, result in a number of problems. Challenges engendered by the need to address trends such as: increasing mobility while decreasing dependence on private vehicles; reducing sprawl and land take up; improving micro-climates and the increasing need for effective water management in urban areas are all topics relating to the development and management of the urban environment. Such issues have a direct impact on the quality and sustainability of urban environments. Although numerous nations and cities have embraced the concept of sustainable urbanization, we have yet “to successfully design and plan cities that will accommodate our economic and demographic needs while uplifting and elevating us, and…the planet and its natural systems”. This paper discusses some of the research outcomes when exploring the potential for Malta’s urban open spaces to act as green infrastructure, as a means to addressing urban challenges and contribute to sustainable development. In particular, it presents some of the key planning and governance considerations in doing this.peer-reviewe

Re-designing urban open spaces to act as green infrastructure-the case of Malta

The need to strive for resilience and mitigate or adapt to climate change are increasingly at the forefront when planning for and managing urban concentrations. The planning and design of urban open spaces is integral to improving the sustainability and resilience of built environments. If urban open spaces function as urban green infrastructure they have the potential to contribute towards sustainable development, increase the resilience of our towns and cities and ultimately facilitate the potential of new scenarios for safe mobility. The poor quality of urban open spaces in Malta suggests that a ‘gap’ exists in their planning and design. The aim is to develop proposals for the planning and design of urban open spaces such that they may function as green infrastructure so as to improve their sustainability and resilience. The research also serves to identify potential barriers to adopting such an approach. Identifying and tackling such barriers is an important step in ensure places where people want to live, work and play. A ‘Mixed Method’ approach using Malta’s urban conurbation as a case study is adopted. The methodology is developed in two phases. The first phase utilises mixed data collection techniques to understand the situation. The second phase develops proposals in response to the results and uses focus group discussions to identify the barriers. The phase one results identify that existing urban open spaces in Malta are lacking in their potential to act as green infrastructure. Gaps in the planning process and policy as well as governance issues are also identified. Following a comparison with international literature, proposals are developed. These address three main themes: spatial implications; planning aspects; and governance requirements. This paper focuses on the theme concerning 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. The potential barriers to implementing such an approach are identified and discussed. Ultimately, the paper concludes that determining planning and design principles is not sufficient. The barriers identified 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.peer-reviewe

Mitochondrial lipidomes are tissue specific – low cholesterol contents relate to UCP1 activity

Lipid composition is conserved within sub-cellular compartments to maintain cell function. Lipidomic analyses of liver, muscle, white and brown adipose tissue (BAT) mitochondria revealed substantial differences in their glycerophospholipid (GPL) and free cholesterol (FC) contents. The GPL to FC ratio was 50-fold higher in brown than white adipose tissue mitochondria. Their purity was verified by comparison of proteomes with ER and mitochondria-associated membranes. A lipid signature containing PC and FC, calculated from the lipidomic profiles, allowed differentiation of mitochondria from BAT of mice housed at different temperatures. Elevating FC in BAT mitochondria prevented uncoupling protein (UCP) 1 function, whereas increasing GPL boosted it. Similarly, STARD3 overexpression facilitating mitochondrial FC import inhibited UCP1 function in primary brown adipocytes, whereas a knockdown promoted it. We conclude that the mitochondrial GPL/FC ratio is key for BAT function and propose that targeting it might be a promising strategy to promote UCP1 activity

6th European congress of qualitative inquiry qualitative inquiry in the Anthropocene : affirmative and generative possibilities for (post)anthropocentric futures

The need to strive for resilience and mitigate or adapt to climate change is increasingly at the forefront when planning for and managing urban concentrations. Open space is one of the dimensions of urban form which is integral to improving the sustainability and resilience of built environments. If urban open spaces function as urban green infrastructure they have the potential to contribute towards sustainable development and increase the resilience of towns and cities. The poor quality of urban open spaces in Malta suggests that a ‘gap’ exists in relation to their planning and design. Various trends such as: Malta´s particular scale; development pressures; policy orientation; governance; climatic conditions; and unsustainable mobility patterns, support the need to develop research in relation to Malta’s urban open spaces. Using qualitative inquiry, the research investigates this and develops proposals, for addressing this gap. Addressing Malta’s urban challenges could ensure more sustainable futures with urban environments where people want to live, work and play. An adapted version of the ´Mixed Method Exploratory Sequential Approach’ using Malta’s urban conurbation as a case study is adopted. The methodology is developed in two phases. The first utilizes mixed data collection techniques to gather a substantial amount of data and create an evidence base. The second phase develops proposals in response to the results of phase one and explores potential barriers to implementation using focus groups. The focus groups explore the use of online methods integrating visual interactive surveys and addressing three main themes: spatial implications; planning aspects; and governance requirements. As a basis for the focus groups discussing spatial implications, a potential spatial plan for a network of green open spaces is developed. Conceptual designs are used to illustrate how Malta’s urban open spaces could act as green infrastructure. These address typological spaces and identify the key design principles, as part of a green infrastructure approach. This paper presents how the second phase of this methodology was used to understand the potential to reimagine our urban environments and move towards more sustainable futures.peer-reviewe

Nature-based placemaking in high-density cities : learning outcomes arising from the ReCreate project

Now is the time to accelerate progress towards green and climateneutral cities. This need is already recognised by policies and plans, such as the European Green Deal and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and the recently proposed EU Nature Restoration Law which is calling for no net loss of urban green space by 2030 and an increase in total area covered by urban space by 2040 and 2050, and by citizens across the globe. Nature is a source of inspiration, education and scientific knowledge, but also a means to climate adaptation and urban quality improvement for more liveable cities. Yet, recent literature has shown how access to nature is, often, not equitably shared within communities and is driven by demographic and socio-economic conditions, such as population density and according to areas of advantage and disadvantage. At the same time, nature-based interventions which aim to improve the quality of urban areas, are in many cases not accompanied by significant engagement and empowerment of communities and are rarely followed upon through comprehensive monitoring and assessment of arising benefits, and their distribution within communities. [Excerpt from the Foreword by Dr. Mario V. Balzan]peer-reviewe