Slow streets Malta – challenging the status quo in a car-dependent island state

Abstract

Over the past decades, the Maltese archipelago has been characterised by ever-increasing levels of car ownership which, coupled with a high population density, have translated into significant car dependency. As a consequence, within top-down infrastructure-related decisions, streets have been largely prioritised as traffic conduits, further incentivising and facilitating the use of cars. In an attempt to challenge and possibly curb this trend, the Local Councils’ Association Malta recently launched a project entitled Slow Streets Malta, with the aim of ensuring safe and sustainable mobility within localities. This paper starts by introducing the Maltese context and pertinent mobility issues therein. It subsequently defines Slow Streets Malta’s main pillars and objectives that have underpinned a rethought strategy to address these issues, followed by a discussion of the Slow Streets networks’ intervention levels. The paper concludes with some thoughts on longer-term opportunities resulting from this project.