Assessing the relationship between community inclusion and space through Valletta 2018 cultural infrastructural projects

Abstract

The report outlines the salient work carried out throughout 2016. Building up on the first year of the research, which focused mostly on the gathering of data from primary sources, this year saw further empirical work being carried out as well as consolidation of data and data analysis. The latter covered both the physical and social/behavioural aspects of the research. Two sets of results emanating from deductive physical analyses were compared in order to assess current (2015/6) state of urban quality of the four Valletta neighbourhoods under study. Patterns emanating from inductive behavioural analysis and broader social phenomena emanating from NSO Census Data (specific for the four neighbourhoods) were in turn compared to the physical results in order to test for preliminary correlation. A current physical land-use analysis, carried out in 2015, was this year supplemented with an additional exercise of development planning applications submitted (and permits issued, as relevant), development notifications submitted (and approved) and enforcements issued in the four neighbourhoods, with a focus on change of uses. The latter was analysed to a greater depth in order to understand the nature of change that the physical fabric is undergoing. The above analyses all contributed to a richer and deeper understanding of the four neighbourhoods, which towards the end of 2016 was supplemented by a pilot for a Public Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS) in order to understand local community needs, concerns and aspirations using an accessible online platform.