An investigation into market obstacles to the provision of shared spaces in apartment typologies

Abstract

During the late 1990s, Malta experienced a shift in its residential typologies (Bianco, 2006). There has been a marked decrease in the number of houses (Bianco, 2006) whereas the number of apartments has greatly increased (Djar & EY, 2021). In general, most apartment typologies do not readily offer any type of shared spaces, and they instead prioritise the maximisation of private interior spaces (Blakemore, 2022) and it is to be assumed that Malta is the same. Based on literature that documents the benefits of shared spaces (Argent, 2008 & Delmelle et al., 2013), the study assumes that shared spaces have a value to residents, and seeks to understand the perceptions of those involved in the market provision of apartment typologies, to understand their perceptions and potential obstacles to the supply of apartment typologies that offer shared spaces. Semi-structured interviews are employed to obtain the views of the two most important actors on the supply side of the property industry - property developers and architects. These two stakeholder groups give different reasons as to why, in their view, there is a lack of shared spaces within the apartment market offer. Most notably, property-developers highlighted the risks involved in property speculation and the emphasis therefore on rapid production, with the least amount of risk, and maximisation of profit. They also cited increases in land prices that place pressure on maximisation of sellable private spaces as compared to shared spaces that cannot be sold but still raise the cost of the end product to individual buyers. Architects expressed their frustration with the current planning policy framework, claiming that this does not support experimental designs, such as shared spaces. The study represents a first investigation regarding shared spaces in apartment developments and makes evident the need for further research particularly to obtain a better understanding of the perceived value of such spaces to inhabitants and prospective buyers of apartment units.