Regenerating Valletta : a vision for Valletta beyond 2020

Abstract

Rewind to year 2000. Valletta was a gem waiting to be discovered but many of its more important buildings were badly kept. The worst offender were the ruins of the Old Opera House. It was an eyesore in Valletta’s strategically most important site. More than that it symbolised successive governments’ failure to take action for Valletta. There were many different interests in Valletta each putting its own views as to how life can be injected into the City. There were different ideas and perspectives; promoting commercial interests, safeguarding of residents; protecting the urban heritage; enhancing Valletta as part of Malta’s tourism product. But there was no single holistic view on what future Valletta should strive for. It was a time when the idea of Valletta Alive Foundation was born. Different people in different organisations saw the need for a holistic vision for Valletta. I am proud to say I was one of that group of people who worked to bring Valletta Alive Foundation into being in 2006 and who then kept it going through highs and lows. We realised that there were many commonalities across the visions of different groups and individuals. The Valletta Alive Foundation acted as a lobby group with politicians and with the general public. VAF encouraged action in favour of Valletta. Today Valletta is very different to the Valletta of year 2000. In some aspects it is much better but many problems persists. The process of change continues and will continue for the foreseeable future. But what will be the outcome of that change? What will Valletta be like beyond 2020; in 2025 or 2030?