Valletta Action Plan Integrated Cultural Heritage Management Plan 2 SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION THROUGH REGENERATION FOREWARD Dr Alexei Dingli Mayor of Valletta Europe‟s Smallest Capital City in the and a defence line of Fortifications Heart of the deep Blue that is second to none. Mediterranean Sea, Valletta is a dynamic City which has never Valletta and its Harbours have always responded to ceased to change and move forward, the dynamics of time and change. From a Maritime Super City of the 17th Century Valletta developed retaining its original beauty and into a Cultural and Commercial Hub in the 18th splendour. Valletta is the designer Century, becoming yet again the strongest Naval city of the 16th Century built straight Base in the Mediterranean during the 19th and mid- from the drawing-board of three men, 20th Century. Valletta and its harbours developed from a Port of War to a Port of Peace and from a a Political Leader and Head of the Port of Heavy Industry to a Port of Culture and Order of the Knights, Jean Parisot de Tourism. Valletta is considered to be one of the la Valette, a warrior engineer finest harbours in the World and a unique Francesco Laparelli, and a Maltese experience to all seafarers and passengers sailing Architect, Girolamo Cassar. Valletta on the luxury yachts and liners. is one of Europe‟s most sophisticated Valletta is a city rich in cultural tradition. Compared micro cities with an intense to other older cities in Europe, Valletta is only 440 concentration of baroque architecture Years young, yet it has the stature, history and profile similar to its sister Capitals of Europe, proud of being a World Heritage City. Conference1 that the Action Plan was presented Through the HerO project and the compilation of this with a system of project-based actions and funding Action Plan, the Valletta Local Council, the Local packages. This system was further sustained by a Support Group and committed stakeholders are delivery plan. 3 striving to make Valletta a unique living experience, aiming towards a better quality of life based on a In the development of this Action plan together with safer and healthier environment, with an improved the Urban Local Support Group we considered that transport system and infrastructure. We do our best a crucial component of any plan is the local citizens‟ to have a City with an open mind and outgoing intangible heritage of the City, that is, how they first Administration, a City fit for work and leisure, for the came to live within the community and how they live younger generation as well as for our senior within it today. In this regard apart from the Urban citizens, easy to do business in and above all an Local Support Group we developed a system of enjoyable tourist experience. walk-abouts to understand better the neighbourhoods with the Mayor and representatives It is up to us all to carry Valletta to future of the local community. Furthermore a survey was generations with greatest respect to those who built created to used within the areas included within this and shaped the City and its history. Action Plan to gain a deeper understanding of the community and their personal histories and future aspirations for this location and the City of Valletta. Background to the Action Plan This consultation process with the community, went beyond that established by the current planning In developing this Action Plan as consultants legislation and beyond what the project was initially specialising in spatial planning, regeneration and aimed towards. However, it was to become a useful heritage management we have sought to follow tool to further develop the Action Plan as well as to principles of „best practice‟ measures which have check the relationship the citizens‟ have to been established both on a national and UNESCO and Valletta‟s World Heritage status. internationally level. The publication of this Action Plan is in tandem with The project of the Action Plan in the context of its implementation stage. The project was launched HERO has been an opportunity to adopt a new with the idea of developing multi-speed projects in approach to planning for conservation and planning these three years and activate these in the short- for the city. The complexity of compiling such a Plan term. This gave us an opportunity at an early stage is not only meeting the stakeholders‟ aspirations but to check related indicators and propose to integrate the various forms of planning regimes performance benchmarking. based on national planning systems, EU Directives and International Conventions and Charters. We take the opportunity to thank all those who supported the compilation and drafting of this project in all its aspects especially Ms Gabriella Agius The foundation of this document dates back to 2009 Executive Secretary and the Local Support Group when it was originally commenced and has been and the Citizen‟s of Valletta who assisted us to gradually established based on the CHIMP create this document. framework and criteria set by the HERO network project. However, to enable this plan to be as fully Dr Malcolm Borg and Ms. Samantha Fabry effective and accessible as possible we, have Heritage Enterprise ventured to apply the following measures and Action Plan Coordinators standards ; (i) Create a Character Appraisal as a system to analyse and evaluate fully the resources and assets of the City (ii) Use the World Heritage City Guidelines (iii) involve the EU 2020 Strategy (iv) follow the reference made by the Leipzig Charter and (iv) include the planning framework as applied and used locally. Why was the system of action planning applied? The reason was fundamemtally based on being pro- active and dynamic. It is counter-productive to create a plan without being activated. It is therefore 1 HERO Midterm Conference - 9th-10th November with this main aim that at the Valletta Midterm- 2009. Local Support Group youths aided by church helpers have conducted 4 The Local Support Group was set up research, took photographs, interviewed residents early 2009 as part of the HerO and built models, which were then used for an audio-visual program. Another project recently project and development of the launched is the „Santu Wistin 6pm IT & Resource Action Plan for the Marsamxett area. Centre‟ for kids, where underprivileged children from The LSG includes various key Valletta have a better environment in which are experts which are based within aided with their studies, learn computer skills and receive counseling related to their studied. In the Valletta and play a key role within near future, the project intends „Values – Internet various activities which are based in Awareness‟, to cater for adults of the parish, in this city in particular within the conjunction with the Valletta Local Council and ETC. location of the Marsamxett as well as The volunteers and helpers contribute significantly the surrounding areas. The following in the parish and are entrusted with coordination in historical and cultural matters within the parish. The organizations are included within the vision of the Parish is to attract the community and LSG. Their input into the visitors to the area through education and culture by development of the CHIMP is making its heritage assets accessible to all. paramount to the success of this project. Valletta Local Council Secretary – Ms. Gabriella Agius St. Augustine‟s Parish Church One of the main objectives for the Valletta Local St. Augustine’s Community – Council is to improve the residents‟ quality of life. Father Saviour Grima O.S.A. and During the course of the council meetings the Mr. Denis Darmanin commitment to install a safer and healthier environment within the City Residents is always The Augustinian Community in Valletta is a religious directly or indirectly referred on the agenda. order which administers the Parish of St. Augustine that incorporates over half of the land area and The council, commissioned experts to identify those population covered by the Marsamxett Action Plan. short comings which were significantly affecting Other to the needs of the parishioners, through negatively on the local resident. The experts were outreach projects, the Community launched the also asked to suggest and recommend new program „Youth in Action Programme‟ (EU 1.2), as approaches and methods as to how to improve and encouraged by the Archdiocese of Malta‟s „Church upgrade over the existing methods or environmental and Culture‟ participation. Part of the program was localities (zones).The requests of the residents are in collaboration with YMCA Homeless. The program always given close attention. consisted of a number of projects, the first of which was a 3D Walkthrough of St. Augustine‟s Parish Through EU funds the council has just received the Church (http://www.staugustinechurchtour.com). green light to start a new project worth 1,000,000 For the past three years, the parish has also hosted euros. These funds will be invested on Peacock „Skola Sajf‟ (Summer School) where some 60 Garden, a site which had been neglected for quite a children from the parish and beyond, were taught long time. The residents of the City especially those various creative skills, given lectures, attended residing in the zone of Marsamxett will benefit from excursions, met with local dignitaries and visited the upgrade to this open space. The improvement of places of historical importance, with the support of this garden gives a breath of fresh air to the local the Valletta Local Council, the YMCA (Malta), the residents. The plans and the application to MEPA Valletta Community Network, St. Albert‟s Collage, are already completed and approved. The project the Civil Protection, Malta Police Force and other will start in due course.