Urban open spaces and their potential as green infrastructure

Abstract

The need to strive for sustainable development and mitigate or adapt to climate change are increasingly at the forefront when planning for and managing urban concentrations. Urban design is a key player and the planning and design of urban open spaces is one area within the dimensions of urban form which is increasingly recognised for its importance in improving the sustainability and resilience of built environments. In fact, if urban open spaces function as green infrastructure they have the potential to address a broad range of urban challenges. A review of Maltese policy and publications reveals the poor quality of urban open spaces in Malta. Additionally, various trends such as: Malta´s particular scale; development pressures; policy orientation; governance; climatic conditions; and mobility challenges, support the need to develop research in relation to Malta’s urban open spaces. The suggestion is made that a ´gap´ exists in relation to their planning and design. The aim of the research is therefore to investigate planning policy and the design of urban open spaces in Malta and use the outcomes to develop proposals for improving their contribution to sustainable development. The research adopts a mixed methods approach using both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques and Malta’s urban conurbation as a single city case study. The methodology is developed in two phases. The first utilises: physical survey; online survey; interviews; case study project reviews; and policy review to gather the initial data. The second develops proposals in response to the results and attempts to identify potential barriers to implementation using focus groups. The results of phase one identify that the design of existing urban open spaces in Malta are lacking in their potential to act as green infrastructure. Gaps in spatial planning systems and policy as well as governance issues, which are also contributing to current trends, emerge. Following a comparison with international literature, a set of proposals are developed. These are elaborated on and refined using the input from the focus groups. A refined framework is developed for the spatial planning of urban open spaces. This is recommended as a means to facilitating the potential for Malta´s urban open spaces to act as green infrastructure. The potential barriers to implementing such a framework are also discussed together with emerging considerations and parallel mechanisms which should be considered. In conclusion, the thesis advocates the importance of adopting a multi-faceted and ‘middle-up’ approach.