08:30 Registration
09:00 Opening Address
09:30 Keynote lecture by Prof. Vincent Goodstadt entitled Post-Covid Planning - Towards more resilient communities
10:30 Parallel sessions:
11:30 Coffee break
11:45 Reporting on the Parallel sessions
12:30 Poster presentation sessions
13:30 Closure of the conference
The conference will have three parallel sessions which will discuss various issues as indicated below. This should help you in choosing which session to participate in:
Parallel session 1 - Supporting local governance in a changing demographic situation
An important element in post-pandemic recovery is the way in which national policy builds social capital. This session shall discuss the role of local governance and decision-making in a time of changing demographics and lifestyles. How can planning decisions be transferred to the communities and their representatives? Should local communities have a stronger voice in the processes of development planning and strategic policy-making? Which structures of participatory planning need to be in place?
Speakers: Perit Ruben Abela, Ms Catherine Fleri Soler, Dr Antoine Zammit
The emergency directives during the Covid-19 pandemic required a series of social distancing measures which changed our perception of physical proximity and thus, of space. Indoor and outdoor spaces, whether for work, recreation or residence assumed new values in line with the shift in lifestyle. In moving forward, high density developments must be assessed using criteria which prioritise remote working practices, reduced air pollution and an ecosystem of public open spaces amongst others . Can more open spaces be incorporated into the built fabric? What is the impact of climate change on the built environment? How can the built environment support sustainable mobility?
Speakers: Prof Louis Cassar, Dr Odette Lewis, Dr Sarah Scheiber
The construction industry has for years been considered a key pillar of the Maltese economy. In a post-pandemic situation, it is an industry that is however faced with issues of redundancy of building stock and an oversupply of outdated typologies. The industry employs a great majority of foreign workers. Shall the continued desire for remote working affect development practices? Is any monitoring being carried out to identify typological and infrastructural gaps in the construction sector? Is the current infrastructural capacity able to cope with projected developments? How can UCAs continue to be relevant to residents and visitors alike?
Speakers: Prof Vincent Buhagiar, Prof Alex Torpiano, Ms Marisa Xuereb
