Hearing that a new block of apartments will be built in a central town is commonplace nowadays. Hearing however, that a garden area will be created in a busy, traffic congested town, is something not all too common and is most definitely, welcome.
A project being proposed by four architects aims to convert the busy St. Anne’s street in Floriana into a garden strip for pedestrians, eliminating all traffic within the area. The traffic will be diverted into an underground tunnel, making the area an ideal recreational space. This project was first proposed back in 2015 and has recently been put under the spotlight. If this project comes into fruition, we would have a whole green area leading to the country’s capital city, Valletta. Imagine that! The people behind this splendid idea are Ian Camilleri Cassar, Anna Gallo, Bernard Vella and Adam Brincat.
The project will undoubtedly breathe new life into Floriana, making it a garden city. Not only that but it can also increase the value of the property within the area, due to this new marvellous landscape. Worthy of mentioning is the fact that another green area proposal has been made in Floriana, to the Sa Maison Ferry Terminal.
What is also exciting about this garden city project is that this could create a new trend for Malta where other localities follow suit. This would definitely uplift Malta’s aesthetic value, apart from being environmentally friendly and contributing positively to everyone’s health. The proposal could not come any sooner as the Floriana/Valletta area could do with some green space.
Obviously, one would expect a certain level of scepticism as this would mean that drivers would have one less road. With that said, it may be a too good opportunity to pass away! To accommodate this project, the unused Pope John Paul II Square will be revitalised and drivers will need to go down a tunnel by the Lion Fountain and traffic will be led just before the Valletta terminus.
When the project was first proposed in 2015, it was well received by the mayors of both Valletta and Floriana. Not only the mayors, but also residents of these two localities have had very positive feedback. Conversations related to this project have stepped up and many are closely monitoring how the situation will develop. With that said, in terms of feedback from authoritative bodies, we are still pending something concrete.
What do you about of this project?
