Public viewscapes in historic urban landscapes : the city of Valletta

Abstract

Views and vistas in historic cities are widely recognized as constituent elements of their authenticity and integrity. Urban pressures are increasingly threatening these socio-cultural and economic assets of historic cities. Indeed, change is necessary in urban areas, however, its beneficial outcomes are proportionate to its good management. The inclusion of the viewscape in planning policy frameworks has a long history of international support. This is particularly true for UNESCO World Heritage cities. The recent regeneration efforts taking place in the City of Valletta have in many ways been a positive injection of life into the city. However, they have also come with new pressures on the integrity of the townscape, particularly its visual integrity and authenticity. The aim of the present study is to examine the effectiveness of the present planning policy framework for the management of Valletta's views and vistas. The study follows a qualitative case study approach. The planning policy framework for Valletta is compared with the planning policy framework for two other European UNESCO World Heritage historic city centres, namely the City of Bath and the Old Town of Krakow. In addition, planning case reports of recent development proposals in the City of Valletta are cited in order to substantiate the issues and policy gaps identified through the comparative analysis. The study shows that the policy framework for the City of Valletta is weak in its management of the public viewscape, primarily due to weaknesses in heritage planning, which extend to the legally defined roles of relevant national government institutions. On this basis, several recommendations are proposed for the improvement of the situation.