https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/4347 2026-10-18T03:23:12Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150109 Title: Mercury Towers : public hindrance or interest? Abstract: This study examines public and stakeholder perceptions of the Mercury Towers development in St Julian’s, Malta, with the aim of evaluating whether it is viewed as a public interest or a public hindrance. Situated within a rapidly transforming urban context, the development serves as a lens through which broader issues of place identity, liveability, and governance can be explored. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from a structured Likert-scale questionnaire with qualitative insights from open-ended responses. A total of 97 participants with varying degrees of connection to the study area contributed to the survey. The findings reveal a complex and often divided public perception. While some respondents associate the development with modernisation, economic growth, and enhanced international image, others express concern regarding its impact on local identity, infrastructure pressure, and residential liveability. The study also highlights a noticeable gap between awareness of the development and understanding of the planning processes behind it, contributing to scepticism toward governance and public participation. Drawing on theoretical perspectives from humanistic geography and urban political ecology, the research demonstrates that large-scale developments are interpreted not only in physical or economic terms, but also through emotional, symbolic, and institutional lenses. Ultimately, the study concludes that Mercury Towers represents a contested urban intervention, reflecting wider tensions within Malta’s development trajectory between growth, identity, and public engagement. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.) 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149688 Title: The geography of catechism : understanding the determinants of parental choices in Malta Abstract: This study explores the spatial factors influencing the choice of catechism centres in three localities in Malta, Naxxar, Ħaż-Żabbar and Marsascala. The analysis investigates how proximity, accessibility, available facilities, transport and urban form affect parental choices when selecting a catechism centre for their children. A quantitative methodology is applied which combines self-reported questionnaire survey data collected from parents of children preparing for First Holy Communion, use of Fisher's Exact Tests, GIS and urban morphology measurements. Urban compactness was measured using the composite indicator framework developed by Kakar and Prasad (2020). This classified Naxxar as sprawled, Żabbar as marginally compact, and Marsascala as clearly compact. The findings show that the determinants of centre selection are specific to the localities rather than universal. Perceived accessibility and well-equipped classrooms were significant in sprawled Naxxar, outdoor facilities mattered most in compact Żabbar, and transport mode was decisive in Marsascala, where a single dominant centre attracts respondents from across the locality. Proximity establishes the locality-level catchment and influences choice at smaller, close-neighbourhood anchored centres, but is overridden at larger centres, a pattern interpreted through Christaller's (1933) central place theory. In Naxxar, the most geographically accessible centre received the poorest perceived accessibility ratings, indicating that the experience of reaching a centre matters as much as the distance itself. Facility preferences emerge as significant only when urban morphology creates the conditions for comparison, with outdoor facilities decisive in Żabbar's overlapping catchments and well-equipped classrooms decisive in Naxxar's longer travel distances. Transport mode becomes important in Marsascala, where a single dominant centre forces car use despite locality-level compactness, while cognitive dissonance reinforces the existing travel modes of both drivers and walkers. A gap emerges between parents' stated reasons and their revealed behaviour, with spatial conditions quietly shaping decisions that parents attribute to social and personal factors. The study extends established geographical frameworks into a previously unexamined catechetical context. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.) 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149393 Title: Urbanisation and reptile population distribution in Malta : citizen awareness for measurement, protection, and conservation Abstract: The main objective of this study is to observe the geography of reptile species population in Malta through citizen awareness, and investigate whether degrees of urbanisation support increasing populations. The study integrates concepts from human geography, conservation biology, and ecology. Using a mixed method approach, the research aims to understand how urban environments influence reptile populations by engaging with citizens from three distinct localities, each reflecting a different degree of urbanisation and rurality. A questionnaire survey was distributed in the localities of Birkirkara, Mosta and Mellieħa. Interviews with experts complement the research on issues of conservation. The study focuses on eight species of Maltese herpetofauna and the factors that influence their distribution across the main island of Malta by analysing correlations between variables collected in the questionnaire survey. Relationships between degree of urbanisation, education, fear, presence of cats, and public awareness of species and protection laws present useful results to provide some recommendations for the monitoring and measurement of species necessary to conserve and protect these reptiles. The findings highlight the importance of citizen awareness and involvement for the implementation of conservation measures for and protection of local herpetofauna. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.) 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149392 Title: Geoheritage of the Mtaħleb coast : acknowledgement, potential and appreciation Abstract: This dissertation examines the geoheritage of a selected site along the Mtaħleb Coast, a rural area in western Malta whose geological and geomorphological significance remains largely undocumented. Motivated by the limited national literature on Maltese geoheritage, the study focuses on three objectives: mapping and characterising the site’s physical geography to identify geoheritage features; proposing geotrails that communicate these features to the public; and analysing the profiles and perspectives of people who visit, use, or manage the Mtaħleb Coast. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining geomorphological mapping, field observations, secondary data sources, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. The study provides the first detailed account of the Mtaħleb Coast’s physical geography and identifies a range of geoheritage features of scientific, educational, cultural, and aesthetic value within the selected study site. The three proposed geotrails offer a practical means of enhancing public awareness and address the current lack of geoscientific interpretation in local guidebooks. Findings from questionnaires and interviews highlight the importance of stakeholder involvement in both geoheritage research and in shaping future planning and initiatives. Crucially, the study shows that progress toward geosite and/or geomorphosite designation depends on the prior establishment of adequate financial and human resources, together with sustained stakeholder engagement. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.) 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z