The transformation of residential areas outside the urban conservation areas

Abstract

Conservation areas can be defined as areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. For such concerns, conservation areas in the Maltese Islands are more controlled than any other built-up areas. During the last half century in places where there is a relaxation of planning policies, transformations of such residential areas was the end result. Changes in house types have occurred and are still occurring at a rapid pace: from terraced houses with two-storey high buildings to smaller units forming a block with the maximum number of storeys allowed in the area. Yet, such transformations have affected the areas adjacent to Urban Conservation Areas in three major aspects: that of the urban environment above all, followed by the social and economic aspects. This dissertation analysis the change that has occurred in residential areas and investigates the factors contributing to such transformations, with information gained mainly through my own initiative fieldwork analysis of the past, the present and the future trends. Although urban conservation areas are not the main subject of this dissertation, they need to be taken into consideration in order to investigate the transformations within them as opposed to the transformations in residential areas outside the urban conservation areas. The dissertation discusses the following topics: expansion of development boundaries during the last half century, planning controls (MEPA) regulating expansion, the present situation of residential areas, the current ongoing changes and transformations, the look for any trends, the future expectations and finally my recommendations.