A GREEN AND COLORFUL MALTA
I was born and raised in Piazza Armerina, a town in the heart of Sicily, between greenery and medieval historical heritage. My city has given me the privilege of breathing clean air and feeling the freedom of gazing over vast agricultural fields, where silence reigns. In my area, we see greenery as a reverse problem, as we struggle to control the overgrowth of plants that overwhelm the town. We would need people to take care of pruning trees and cutting the grass. For this reason, I strongly believe that simply having this fortune is not enough to fully enjoy life. I have always found it quite depressing to see my city with this unkempt nature, which gives it a sense of abandonment.
And here you might be wondering, what does this have to do with slowing down in Malta and creating more green spaces? Well, since I decided to move here, I have always mentally drawn a spontaneous comparison between Mellieha, town where I now live, and Piazza Armerina, my hometown. I have always admired your ability to take care of your historical areas, such as the splendid church of Mellieha and Selmun Park. I love the fact that, from a small island, you have created one of the strongest nations in Europe. On the other hand, I believe that tourism and the increasing population are leading to exploit your natural areas for more economic purposes occupying much of the space with new apartments and hotel construction.
I am certainly not an expert, but I think that if the same amount of efforts were applied to creating green areas, this place would get very close to my idea of paradise, with greenery, blue seas and history brought to life by people from all over the world. I have also thought about how the planting of flowers could enrich these towns with colours, perfuming the streets and making walks more pleasant. I am sure that a great project could be vertical forests, installing vertical gardens on the building walls and balconies. These can host ornamental plants or even small crops like herbs. They are ideal for using vertical space when ground space is limited. Alternatively, creating small urban gardens in shared spaces like courtyards, terraces or common area could be another solution. Even in reduced spaces, these gardens can be cultivated in tubs, boxes or mobile containers. Including residents in taking care of them increases the sense of community and improves the aesthetics of the town. We could organize three-planting and green space maintenance days, involving citizens, schools and local associations. Direct involvement raises care and awareness of the importance of greenery. We could recycle materials such as old wooden crates or barrels to create planters or vertical structures. This not only adds greenery, but also promotes sustainability.
In conclusion, I believe these solutions can help increase greenery even in small contexts, improving the quality of life for residents and creating a more welcoming and sustainable environment. It is a much simpler task than building huge buildings that act as barriers, blocking the vast sea views that can be enjoyed from every corner of Malta.