ADPD – The Green Party spokespersons insisted that urban renewal should aim at improving community facilities and open spaces and not putting up concrete pillars, to shove people off residential streets.
At a Press Conference in Ħamrun on Wednesday afternoon, ADPD – The Green Party General Secretary and candidate for the 7th and 11th districts Dr Ralph Cassar said that “The project in Misraħ is-Sebgħa ta’ Ġunju 1919 in Ħamrun is a classic examples of how things should NOT be done. The €1,500,000 spent on the concrete structure would have been better spent on lining up many roads with trees, and more spaces and public and cultural facilities in Ħamrun. A main road in Ħaż-Żebbuġ, for example, became an avenue with trees for about €200,000 thanks to the initiative of Councillor Steve Zammit Lupi. With the exaggerated expenditure on what could simply be considered as a concrete umbrella for cars, 8 major roads could have been turned into avenues. The Minister for the Environment is simply showing us that the Partit Laburista’s plan for urban renewal are simply buzz words meant to impress when in reality it simply another excuse for more building and concrete – with people pushed off residential streets and sent up literally to a roof top”, Dr Cassar concluded.
ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson and candidate for the 4th and 9th district Carmel Cacopardo said a distinction must be made between greening existing rooftops and the unnecessary building massive canopies for cars over open spaces. “Residents should be prioritized on urban roads with community spaces, and facilities such as open spaces at street level. The small parking lot in the area could have easily been transferred nearby through a simple re-organisation of the roads in the vicinity. At the end of the day it is imperative that open spaces are not sacrificed for the more cars. People, air quality and streets and spaces dedicated to the community should be of utmost priority. PLPN’s vision for our country – including tunnels for traffic – is light years away from that deserving of a modern vision for our urban zones,” said Cacopardo.
Land use in Malta has not been appropriate for many years. There has been too much development. We must ensure that this stops. Malta, and to a certain extent Gozo, have become a mass of contiguous buildings. Arable land has been eaten up and many open spaces and gardens have been wiped out. Applications for developments within our towns continuously remove large spacious gardens forever. These not only used to embellish the houses they used to form part of but also served as green lung for our villages and towns. Many are now gone forever to be replaced by concrete structures and flats.
We all agree on the benefit of creating open spaces accessible for all, but it should be done properly. This has to be carried out in a way that avoids past mistakes. We need public open spaces free of pollution, with free access to clean air. This can be implemented as part of a holistic transport decarbonisation plan. A plan that if carried out wisely should lead to less cars on our roads which in turn would facilitate the conversion of public spaces into people-friendly zones. Let’s reclaim our streets.
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It-toroq jeħtieġ li neħduhom lura
Illum fil-Ħamrun, kelliema ta’ ADPD – The Green Party saħqu li t-tiġdid urban għandu jkollu bħala għan faċilitajiet komunitarji u spazji miftuħa u mhux pilastri tal-konkos, fejn in-nies jitkeċċew ‘il barra mit-toroq residenzjali.
“Il-proġett li qed naraw hawn f’Misraħ is-Sebgħa ta’ Ġunju 1919 fil-Ħamrun huwa eżempju ta’ kif m’għandhomx isiru l-affarijiet. Bil-miljun u nofs Ewro li qed jinħlew fil-konkos hawn kienu jsiru toroq sħaħ bis-siġar, u aktar pjazez u faċilitajiet pubbliċi u kulturali fil-Ħamrun. Triq prinċipali f’Ħaż-Żebbuġ per eżempju saret vjal bis-siġar fuq inizjattiva tal-Kunsillier Steve Zammit Lupi, bi spiża ta’ madwar 200,000 Ewro. Bl-infieq esaġerat fuq din li hija prattikament umbrella tal-konkos għall-karozzi, 8 toroq twal oħra kienu jinbidlu fi vjali. Minflok, il-Ministru għall-Ambjent qed juri kif il-pjan tal-Partit Laburista għall-ambjent urban huwa biss buzz words biex jimpresjoni n-nies, meta filfatt huwa biss skuża oħra għal aktar bini u konkos – bin-nies imkeċċija mit-toroq residenzjali u relegati litteralment fuq il-bejt,” sostna Dr Ralph Cassar, kandidat ta’ ADPD – The Green Party fuq distretti 7 u 11.
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo, kandidat fuq ir-4 u d-9 distrett, qal li mod bjut eżistenti jitħaddru, u mod ieħor spazju miftuħ jinbena għal xejn. “Fit-toroq residenzjali għandhom jingħataw prijorità lir-residenti bi spazji komunitarji, faċilitajiet bħal spazji miftuħa fuq il-livell tat-triq. L-ispazji tal-parkeġġ żgħir li kien hawn faċilment kien jiġi trasferit fil-viċin, b’sempliċiment ri-organizazzjoni tat-toroq tal-madwar. Imma fl-aħħar mill-aħħar l-ispazji miftuħa m’għandhomx jibqgħu ma jsirux sew u kif suppost bl-iskuża tal-karozzi. In-nies, il-kwalità tal-arja u toroq u spazji riservati għall-komunità għandhom ikunu l-prijorità assoluta. Il-viżjoni tal-PLPN għal pajjiżna – inkluż aktar tħaffir u mini għat-traffiku – għadha snin dawl ‘il-bogħod mill-viżjoni moderna neċessarja għaż-żoni urbani tagħna.”
F’kuntest usa’, l-art f’Malta, tul is-snin ma ġietx użata tajjeb. Ġiet żviluppata wisq art. Għandna l-obbligu li naraw li dan ma jibqax isir. L-impatt dirett ta’ dan kollu kien li Malta, u sa ċertu punt anke Għawdex, illum il-ġurnata saret massa waħda u kontinwa ta’ bini. Ittiekel ħafna raba’ u ġew eliminati bosta spazji miftuħa u ġonna. Kontinwament nisimgħu b’applikazzjonijiet għal żvilupp fl-ibliet u l-irħula tagħna li qed jelimnaw darba għal dejjem ġonna kbar u mdaqqsa. Dawn kienu jsebbħu d-djar li kienu jiffurmaw parti minnhom. Kienu ukoll iservu ta’ pulmun għall-irħula u l-ibliet tagħna. Imma issa bosta minnhom inqerdu għalkollox u saru blokki tal-konkos.
Li nipprovdu spazji miftuħa aċċessibli għal kulħadd hu tajjeb. Dan irid isir bil-għaqal biex ikunu evitati l-iżbalji akkumulati tul is-snin. Għandna bżonn spazji pubbliċi nieqsa mit-tniġġis, b’aċċess ħieles għal arja nadifa. Dan jista’ jsir fil-kuntest ta’ pjan olistiku dwar id-dikarbonizazzjoni tat-trasport. Pjan li jekk isir bil-għaqal jista’ jwassal għal tnaqqis fin-numru ta’ karozzi mit-toroq tagħna u allura jkun jista’ jiffaċilita li l-ispazju pubbliku li illum tuża’ l-karozza jkun spazju pubbliku għan-nies. It-toroq jeħtieġ li neħduhom lura.
