https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/692 Thu, 08 Oct 2026 05:25:18 GMT 2026-10-08T05:25:18Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149696 Title: Planning reforms, environmental democracy and the rule of law Abstract: There have been several reforms to the Maltese planning system since its inception in the 1990s but the recent reforms published via Bills 143 and 144 raise several concerns for environmental governance.; There are four main concerns: 1) the tabling of the Bills in Parliament without public consultation; 2) the proposal to dismantle Malta’s plan-led system by allowing ministerial appointees on the various planning boards and committees to override agreed plans on a case-by-case basis; 3) the proposals to restrict public access to environmental justice, by making it more difficult (and potentially costly) to appeal to the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal, reducing grounds for appeals, and removing the powers of the Court of Appeal to revoke planning permits; and 4) removing the environment as a material consideration on which planning decisions are to be based. Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149696 2025-08-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149692 Title: Paceville and the price of progress Abstract: Marguerite Camilleri discusses the newly launched book ‘The Future of Paceville’, highlighting how the development pattern emerging in the town is of concern.; The Future of Paceville, Co-edited by Elise Billiard Pisani and Reuben Grima Malta University Press, 2026.; The Future of Paceville is an important and timely book, written by authors from anthropology, law, planning, architecture and cultural heritage management, and spanning academia and practice. The story of today’s Paceville begins in the early decades of the 20th century,when Giuseppe Pace began to build residences there for British service families. Previously a fortified promontory, Paceville lies north of the fishing village of St Julian’s. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149692 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149683 Title: From FoMO to clicks : understanding young people's behavior toward retargeted advertisements Authors: De Battista, Ivan; Curmi, Franco; Konietzny, Jirka Abstract: The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence have led to highly personalized and programmatic advertising, using retargeted advertisements that incorporate Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) appeals to enhance customer engagement. Retargeted advertisements chase customers after they leave a website without conversion. This study uniquely investigates the persistent influence of retargeted advertisements on young people in the digital sphere, particularly when synergistically combined with FoMO appeals. It further applies the Theory of Planned Behavior to understand its impact. FoMO is conceptualized in this study as a higher-order construct, comprising four lower-order constructs: scarcity, urgency, social proof, and loss aversion. These were included in a self-administered survey with a sample of 480 respondents. Data were analyzed using PLS-SEM. Findings reveal a strong relationship between FoMO and attitude, subjective norms, and the intention to click on retargeted advertisements. Attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly influence young people's intention to click, ultimately influencing behavior. The influence of FoMO appeals on subjective norms and behavioral intentions is more pronounced among men. Conversely, attitude serves as the primary precursor of intention to click for women. These findings offer crucial theoretical and practical implications for stakeholders navigating the evolving digital advertising landscape. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149683 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149597 Title: From sandbox to scale : unlocking the EU’s tokenised securities framework Abstract: The EU has built the most advanced regulatory framework for tokenised securities globally, yet the architecture is not yet fully sufficient to support largescale tokenised capital markets. While the foundations are firmly in place, the conditions for industrial scale adoption remain a work in progress. In this context, the EU has implemented the DLT Pilot Regime, establishing a statutory regulatory sandbox that permits the issuance, trading, and settlement of tokenised securities through DLT based market infrastructures while providing for targeted exemptions from certain traditional rules. Despite this significant regulatory innovation, practical market uptake has been limited. [excerpt] Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149597 2026-09-01T00:00:00Z