https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/12481 2026-04-09T05:57:40Z 2026-04-09T05:57:40Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/13416 2016-10-27T07:58:02Z 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Travel behaviour of University students from Mosta and Siggiewi Abstract: Institutions of higher education, tend to attract a large number of student enrolments. This contributes to different travel patterns. To understand students’ travel patterns, you need to understand their behaviour. The case study of this research is the University of Malta, and students’ travel behaviour from two distinct localities, Mosta and Siggiewi, will be analysed. This will be done to understand potential differences and similarities between urban and rural travel. The research aims to understand students’ perspectives on specific modes of transport and any geographic patterns in such behaviour. The study aims at shedding light on student’s perceptions and attitudes towards carpooling and public transport, thus helping the researcher to understand what leads to certain perspectives. Primary data will be collected through the questionnaires to students from Mosta and Siggiewi, and secondary data will be based on books, journals, online documents and papers. Analysis tools and secondary data will also provide supporting evidence. One of the main secondary data used was the Green Travel Plan (GTP) that was gathered by the Institute of Sustainable Development and Climate Change. The GTP was utilised to the data gathered by the questionnaires in order to shed more light about mode choice. The main outcome in this study is that private vehicles prevail and public transport is perceived in being unsatisfactory. Another outcome is that students would change to more sustainable alternatives which would be carpooling. Also, the behaviour of students is mainly altered by punctuality, time, reliability and convenience. Description: B.A.(HONS)GEOGRAPHY

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/13413 2018-08-10T10:43:14Z 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Regeneration or gentrification? : the case of Cottonera Abstract: The Cottonera region has had a long history of population decline along with deterioration of various areas, including buildings and open spaces. As a result of the bombing of the 2nd World War, along with the increase of the tertiary economic sector, and as a consequence the closure of the dockyard, the Cottonera region has suffered from stigma, neglect and an increase in people with social problems. Along the years, attempts at regeneration projects commenced to revive the area. This dissertation aims to look deeper into the aspects of the regeneration projects; mainly focusing on whether these have been really regeneration projects or whether these have turned in to a gentrification process. In the literature review, the author focuses on the changing definition of gentrification and regeneration whilst giving case studies that could be possible to compare and contrast with the Maltese context, especially the Cottonera region context. Furthermore, the author analyses gathered data to see the extent to which these regeneration projects have affected locals and local businesses. Structured interviews with residents as well as business owners were conducted whereas semistructured interviews were held with representatives from the local councils of Birgu and Kalkara. Results show that elements of both regeneration and gentrification, mostly tourism gentrification are present. The study reveals that politics and mostly tourism have played an important role along the regeneration projects and a new form of tourism is being developed. Furthermore, results show that residents and business owners have been affected in both positive and negative ways. These will be discussed further along the dissertation. The author draws conclusions and recommends suggestions for further studies to address limitations that occurred within the design of study as well as providing recommendations to address issues that arose along the Cottonera regeneration projects. Description: B.A.(HONS)GEOGRAPHY

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/13395 2018-03-28T08:49:03Z 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Agritourism in Gozo : issues and opportunities Abstract: Agritourism in Gozo is still in its infancy despite its rural landscape and scenic attractions. However, recently it has become a more topical subject and is being considered as a type of ‘alternative tourism’ that the island can develop. In fact, it is an alternative source of income for farmers and an alternative form of recreation for tourists. This study focuses on the current state of agritourism in Gozo. One of the main issues discussed is agritourism as a backdoor to land speculation. Part of the literature review deals with case studies from the Mediterranean region, while the main study focuses on the local context, in particular the agritourism enterprises already established in Gozo. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were chosen for this study, using interviews and questionnaires respectively for the collection of data. The interviews were held with important stakeholders in local agritourism, namely, owners of agritourism enterprises and representatives of government entities. The questionnaires were distributed among persons who had experienced agritourism abroad. In the results it was found, among others, that owners considered EU and state incentives insufficient. The study also found that the MEPA 2014 document Rural Policy and Design Guidance provided the only set of regulations specifically directed at agritourism. The study also contains a number of proposals on how agritourism can develop and expand further in Gozo in light of the island’s quest for alternative types of tourism. Description: B.A.(HONS)GEOGRAPHY

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/13382 2016-10-26T14:35:00Z 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The Maltese military landscape : the role of physical geography in shaping Malta’s military defence Abstract: ‘Geographical History’ is a term which has been adopted by geographers and historians to describe aspects of overlap, or relationships, between their two disciplines. Although not widely used, it has started regaining momentum in the last century, however there are still uncertainties as to what it exactly entails; its ‘...epistemological status... has been ambiguous’ (Baker, 2006). Further to this, according to Baker (2006) there are two key themes to this branch: one is the study of spatial distributions at given times in history, while the other is the physical geographical elements which affect historical development-both examined in this work. Our physical landscape has, in more ways than one, shaped our history. It has determined things such as human settlement and other more complex things such as defence and the importance of location. The strategic geographic location of the archipelago and its coveted harbours have made Malta a desirable piece of land through history and thus it has had a colourful history of numerous foreign occupiers. This study analyses the physical geography of the archipelago and specific geomorphological features so as to clearly state the importance of these in affecting, and even shaping, Malta’s history, specifically in terms of defence. Finally, this study gives a better understanding of the Physical and Historical aspects of Malta to give a clearer picture of how the natural Maltese environment affected the latter. This work uncovers how fortifications needed to be constructed in good locations which enhanced their defensive features. Keeping the landscape in mind was crucial as it could make or break their security. Besides geomorphology, geology also plays a crucial part in terms of stability of the defences. Time made these fortifications obsolete and therefore they needed to be updated while still taking into consideration the lay of the land and their distance from the coast. Description: B.A.(HONS)GEOGRAPHY

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z