Abstract

In this seminar paper, urban design strategies adopted in the regeneration of a block in Santa Venera
will be discussed, in order to provide a clearer picture as to how the strategies are being used to
improve the environmental quality and quality of life for users of the space. Malta as a country, is
currently losing a significant amount of public space to private development, leading to a number of
environmental issues. Through various site analyses performed, these issues were highlighted and
different approaches were taken in order to improve the public realm. Issues that were addressed are
the developing of desired forms of access and open space for public use, the introduction of new
building typologies and uses, indorsing environmental sustainable patterns of development, the
development of legible urban forms to the human scale, and most of all giving the most attention to
the desired relationship between buildings, between buildings and adjacent spaces and between the
buildings, spaces and the users.

2
1.0 Introduction
Urban design strategies are adopted to deliver a high quality urban environment, but in the hope that
patterns of economic, social and environmental development are influenced. It must be planned
around various aspects that are shaping today’s cities, it is the forefront of the drive to improve our
urban areas and achieve an urban renaissance. Urban design strategies provide the focus for these
changes to happen in a positive manner to improve the urban environment in many different ways.
They can contribute to the process of finding new uses for abandoned buildings, to overcome the
weaknesses of a project-by-project approach (that is individually designed projects rather than in a
cohesive way that complement the urban environment) to achieve good design quality, and to
contribute to a good public transport infrastructure that is closely related to the patterns adopted by
the public.

It also focuses on the relationship between various parts of a town and how they work together with
reference to the public realm, the pattern of how people move through the spaces, providing a strong
and diverse economy, and what makes the place distinguishable in terms of its local character and
identity.

3
2.0 Urban Design Strategies
We are currently experiencing a rapid increase in population growth globally, which leads to an increase
in car dependency, therefore higher congestion rates, and also a rise in the consumption of natural
resources. This leads to the movement of people from the cities into suburbs for reasons such as less
congestion, no noise pollution, low crime rates, away from the chaotic environment of a city into a
peaceful, green environment.

‘’ The reality is that people are adaptable to changing conditions. They will work to preserve the
lifestyles they prefer. They will buy more fuel-efficient cars; they will work and recreate closer to
home. ‘’

[Moving from the Cities to the Suburbs... And Beyond, W. Cox, 2008]

This can also be a matter of those who afford to move out and those who do not, social polarisation.
This is linked to the segregation of society that emerges from income inequality, economic
displacements, amongst others. This leads to the rise of various social groups, the high class, middle
class and the lower class, with the wealthy living in certain areas to themselves and those who do not
afford living in deprived areas.

How are we to design the cities in a way to prevent such happenings? By adopting the urban design
strategies in cities to make them more suitable for people to live in, making a critical shift to a low
carbon city. These are strategies which encourage and support people to live, work, study and enjoy in
a place. They help the community to understand and realise how the way the urban environment is
designed contributes positively towards each individual’s experience in terms of living and working.

Good urban design and planning influences the economic sector by attracting different types of
stakeholders such as investors, visitors, businesses and consumers who contribute towards the vitality
of the town or neighbourhood.

2.1 Defining Sustainability

Achieving cities that are sustainable is an imperative in our rapidly urbanizing world. Currently the world
is undergoing the largest increase of urban growth since. In the 1950s, 30% of the world’s population
lived in urban areas, by 2003 this amount increasing to 48% and it is predicted that by 2030, 61% of the
population will be urban, according to the United Nations (2004). This brings with it huge social,
economic and environmental transformations.

‘’Urbanization has the potential to usher in a new era of well-being, resource efficiency and
economic growth. But cities are also home to high concentrations of poverty. Nowhere is the
rise of inequality clearer than in urban areas, where wealthy communities coexist alongside, and
separate from, slums and informal settlements.’’ [United Nations Population Fund]

Cities, towns and neighbourhoods must be designed in a sustainable way, based on the principles of
allowing ‘‘present generations to meet their needs without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet theirs.’’ (WCED, 1987). Urban sustainability’s objective is to achieve a high quality
of life for the community within a socio-economic framework which lessens the impact of the city on
the environment. Social, ecological and economic dimensions need to be addressed for a sustainable
city or neighbourhood. Such places ensure a good quality of life for the community, are environmental
friendly and social integrated. Sustainability can be achieved through the compact city: promoting

4
relatively high residential density with mixed land uses, and with a large resident population this
enhances the opportunities for social interaction and reduced crime rates with ‘’eye on the streets’’
approach.

The foundations on which the design project was planned upon are: Sustainable neighbourhood
strategies, sustainable open space and water strategies and sustainable movement strategies.
Following is a discussion on how present issues within the site and the surroundings were identified
and taken on board with the design strategy in order to adopt a green urbanism approach.

5
3.0 The Site
Santa Venera is located between three prominent localities; Birkirkara, Fleur De Lys and Hamrun which
all boast high commercial activity, with Santa Venera acting as a connecting link between these
localities. The site stands at the periphery of the locality, borderline with Birkirkara, and is
predominantly a greenfield site.

In order to fully understand the qualities and characteristics of the site and its surroundings, different
analyses were conducted. Key points that were observed when analysing the immediate surroundings
were that; the site is located between two commercial nodes, Psaila Street and Fleur de Lys Road, which
are linked by tal-Fleur de Lys Street adjacent to the school. This factor, together with the influx of people
during school opening and closing hours lead to high congestion, generating vehicular and pedestrian
conflict. In the vicinity of the site, secondary roads lead to dead ends due to pockets of cultivated land
within the built fabric, hindering the permeability of traversal to and fro these commercial and
residential areas.

Situated on a junction, the school has been a predominant landmark for locals since its construction in
the 1950’s, similarly, GO mobile outlet also stands as a new landmark for both the local and visitor due
to its distinct orange frontage. Apart from Romeo Romano, which is bounded by high walls, there is a
significant lack of open spaces within the town of Santa Venera.

6
Through these analyses a vision was establised, stating:

“Consolidate the existing use of the school and develop a framework of

open spaces, connecting the mixed-use development to promote social
interaction and ease of movement.”

This statement provided the parameters of the project and its direction for developing the strategies.

Figure 1: Go Mobile outlet which stands

as a landmark for locals and visitors

Figure 2: Santa Tereza school to be retained and improved

7
4.0 Sustainable Neighbourhood Strategies

As already mentioned, in the recent times

there has been a significant change in the
shapes of cities due to rapid urban population
growth, leading to urban sprawl which goes
against the principles of a sustainable
neighbourhood due to high vehicular
dependency to go to basic facilities and
services, low density housing typologies and a
high distance to use ratio. This leads to the loss
of the compact city. Sustainable urban
planning principles must be adopted to create
and plan sustainable relationships between
the users and the spaces in between,
supporting neighbourhoods and cities which
are ‘’compact, intergrated and connected’’
[UN-Habitat: A new strategy of sustainable
neighbourhood planning]. Figure 3: Design Principles of Sustainable Neighbourhoods
[Source: Modus Planning, Design & Engagement Inc.]

Figure 4: Urban Sprawl [Location: Switzerland]

8
Figure 5: The compact city [Location: Sapporo, Japan]

4.1 Creating a walkable community

This principle works on the basis of having services and facilities that are centralised, focused along
main streets and around public transportation nodes. On planning the site uses to be adopted, one of
the objectives was ’Extending and integrating commercial, residential and institutional uses to the
surrounding context’. This was applied by continuing the already existing commercial and business uses
along the main street, with retail commercial at ground floor level and offices at the rest of the levels.
Commercial uses were not implemented within the whole site so that there will be no interference with
the already existing commercial nodes of Birkirkara and Fluer De Lys, instead there will be just a
continuation of what has already been established in Triq il-Ferrovija.

The school which is currently located to the side of the site is to be retained and improved, reason being
that it is an important landmark for locals. At the moment, the school building is being used by three
different schools: a phasing out school (2 years), the temporary relocation of the Msida Primary school
(1-2 years) and the Santa Venera primary school (permanent). With this information, it was decided
that the school is to be downsized with more usable spaces once the two of the schools leave. In this
way, new opportunities for other uses will be made possible, such as the auditorium and community
centre building which will be the focal point of the building block, creating a landmark. The Santa Venera
local council is currently facing issues with regards to lack of usable spaces for local events, with them
having to rent out private rooms and establishments to host events. By the development of a
community centre, such activities can begin to take place in this facility, which provides different
services for the community.

9
At present, a number of residential areas are not linking with each other due to undeveloped land and
dead end streets. With these issues, it was decided that the residential uses are to be located towards
the inner section of the site so as to mimic the surrounding uses and so as not to have conflicting
building uses. By doing so, new links are created within the residential areas, hence towards a more
walkable community.

Figure 6: Existing street network with a significant numebr of dead end streets

The type of residential typology that has been implemented in the project is that of apartments which
will be developed to the maximum height limitation of the site. This is done so as to control the visual
impact of the buildings so as to respect the surrounding context. Providing flexibility in the case of
future changes with regards to life-style, use and climate is very important, and also in creating flexibility
in the use of the buildings and open spaces to offer new approaches. If more floors are to be added
later on, the extensions will need to be set back, setting design parameters.

The apartments will offer affordable housing which cater for different types of people: children, young
adults, families and the elderly. In this way a social mix will be created which is interdependent with
mixed uses, promoting a balanced, developed local community. People can both live and work within
the area, offering co-working spaces for those who wish to work from home. The apartment plots will
be offered in different sizes with the aim of increasing the diversity of housing options. The complex

10
will perimeter a private open space in the form of a courtyard which offers different activities for
different generations, such as – urban farming, children’s playground and intimate spaces.

Figure 7: Concept Masterplan showing new established street connections, building uses and network of open spaces.

Through this approach social interaction and social cohesion of different groups will be promoted, job
opportunities will be created for residents, including single parents, who need to work from home so
as to be able to observe their children, and at the same time providing a well-connected mixed-use
zone which minimizes the need to travel long distances for basic needs.

One of the main aims of the design was to create a safe environment or the users of the spaces. This
was done by clearly defining the public and private spaces to help increase the awareness and act as a
deterrent to criminals, keeping the public places as attractive and clean as possible so as to not allow
these spaces to become a target area for crime, and also having the housing occupied in different times
of the day that encourage community interaction, control and surveillance of the area naturally by the
residents.

11
4.2 Streets and Street Blocks
The area should have a clear distinct image where users can easily identify the routes, access points
and private and public spaces. The stratgey adopted was to develop the site street pattern according
to the already existing pattern of the surrounding buildings, streets and landscaping. Adequate linkage
with the existing landmark areas and features must be incorporated, and ensuring that the movement
within the area is designed in accordance to the public realm areas, key streets and spaces.

Within the site, there is a variety of block widths, with the widest block being 80 metres which translates
to an average walking time of 3-4 minutes. There is a variety of street widths and building ratios which
help differentiate different types of spaces, from public to private. Towards the commercial zone of the
site, street widths vary from 11 metres to 15 metres. As one walks towards the more residential zone,
he or she will experience a decrease in the street width to building height ratio so as to make the user
aware that he or she is entering a more private zone.

Figure 8: Masterplan showing proposed block depths and street widths to differentiate between the most public and the
more private zones

12
The new developments must create a well designed chain of spaces to effortlessly merge with the
existing network of spaces. The design must establish a natural connection with already existing uses
to give a feeling of continuity within the road network and existing facilities. Legibility is a very important
factor in urban design, defined as “the ease with which its parts can be recognised” [Image of the City,
K. Lynch]. ‘Respecting the building line to improve the legibility of the area’ is one of the objectives in
the project. The existing school currently does not respect the building line, with just a low boundary
wall which separates the public road from the school grounds. With this it was decided to demolish the
low boundary wall, and extend the upper floor outwards to be in line with the rest of the street’s
building line in the form of an overhang. In Triq il-Ferrovija, the plan is to demolish the existing buildings
and boundary wall and instead erect buildings along the building line for improved legibility (Figure 9).
By doing so, dead frontages are changed into active frontages offering different types of activities.

Figure 9: Existing school with low boundary wall surrounding the school grounds which currently acts as a dead frontage.

Figure 10: Proposed school active frontage with the extension of an overhang to respect the building line. This will also
provide a safer & more integrated drop-off/pick-up point for the school.

13
4.3 Optimising development density
Development density is defined by the number of units in a given land area. It is important to achieve
high density zones which promote sustainable neighbourhoods so as to prevent the growth urban
sprawls. Having a high density environment means that there is a high percentage of users and activities
within a defined perimeter of land (normally measured in no. of units per hectare). With urban sprawl,
the quality of life is negatively impacted due to having to spend a certain amount of time commuting
from one place to another to accommodate needs. This means that such individuals have higher costs
of living and contribute to the negative impacts on the environment since urban sprawl is highly car-
dependant.

By preventing such urban sprawl and aiming at improving/developing the densities of urbanized areas,
positive environmental impacts and increase in the quality of life of the individuals will result. High
density has social, economic and environmental positive impacts since: more people can be
accomodated within an area, decrease in public services costs such as school transport, emergency
needs, water and electricity transportation costs amongst others. There will be less car dependency
and parking demands as people will opt for public transport, increase in social equity and more public
open spaces for the community to enjoy. If such factors are implemented within a high density urban
environment, this will also in turn decrease social problems which are usually encountered within
improper planning and design of a high-dense urban environment, i.e. decrease in crime, poverty and
health related issues. An increase in the quality of life of the users will result in a sustainable way.

Figure 11: Axonometric view of the urban block displaying the mixed uses and building volumes planned along the already
established building lines.

In the case of Santa Venera, the site boasts a high-density urban environment. It promotes the users to
walk or cycle to school, work and get basic services and needs, without depending on vehicles. Since
the school is located within very close proximity of the residential units, this provides enhanced
educational opportunities both during and after school hours since the school grounds remain
accessible by the public after school hours, amongst other activities. The site is well-connected to public
transport, with around five bus stops within a 300m radius. This contributes to the idea of smart growth,

14
were public transport is integrated with the type of land uses available. With more compact, mixed use
development particularly near transit points this may encourage individuals to make use of public
transport, rather than relying on private vehicles. This also supports the sustainable movement
strategy.

The total number of apartments within the site amounts to 220 apartments comprising of one, two and
three-bedroom apartments. This means that the site can accoomodate approximately 700 people. The
total average density per hectare within the site was found to be at 93 dwellings/ha.

4.4 Waste
The waste management system adopted in this project is the underground waste container system,
where the waste is collected from the street (the traditional way which is the most ideal form). This
type of waste management system is the most sanitary method of waste disposal. The underground
container system enables up to 4x more storage than that of conventional containers. This significantly
improves communal infrastructure, more efficient waste management, and positively impacts the
image of the area since garbage bags will no longer be placed on the streets, an uncluttered urban
environment. Another advantage is the fact that the waste is stored underground, there is limited
access which prevents dispersion and inadequate waste management i.e. by wind, animals and
vandalism.

Residents will be required to dispose and recycle their garbage at the waste pick up point. This also
serves as a way of re-educating the people, to separate their organic waste from the dry waste, which
leads to a sustainable waste management system. This system, unlike the present waste system in
Malta, prevents unpleasant odours and the visible parts are more attractive than the existing above
ground solutions. There will be a pick-up point designed specifically for the waste disposal truck, that
will not interfere with the traffic flow.

Figure 12:
Underground waste
containers

15
5.0 Sustainable Movement Strategies
5.1 The Urban Structure
This refers to the form of arrangement that blocks, streets, buildings, open spaces and landscaping take
to form an urban area. It provides the basis for the detailed design and planning of each element. The
urban structure elements provide a coherent framework that guides and influences the development
of individual buildings, spaces or infrastructure within cities, towns and villages. These elements are
integration, functional efficiency, environmental harmony, a sense of place and commercial viability.

5.2 The Movement Framework

It is very important to have an efficient and comfortable movement plan which needs to be
meticulously planned giving precedence to sustainable forms of transport and discourage the use of
cars. The movement plan must focus on designing streets and footpaths which will help create peaceful
walkways for pedestrians and cyclists. It must provide a choice to how people can travel, provide visible
connections that make it easier for the individual to get around and must also cater for the type of
movement(s) a use will generate. The experience of the user through the journey is a very important
factor that must be considered when designing the urban environment, as this influences the choice a
user will make on how much attractive the street is: whether to walk, cycle or use the car.

The table below clearly defines the priorities with regards to types of movement – where pedestrians
and cyclists should be given precedence over vehicular uses.

Figure 13: Movement hierarchy

In order to improve the ease of movement throughout the site, all general amenity needs must be
conveniently located and well connected for easy access by road network across the scheme. They
must be placed within a comfortable walking distance of 10 minutes to reduce the dependency on
vehicles and new routes must prioritize pedestrians and bicycle riders, create open spaces and green
corridors.

Malta is a heavy, car-congested country. The current urban environment does not encourage one to
walk or to cycle, the car always takes precedence. This is definitely one of the biggest challenges we are
facing right now, how can we design/improve the current urban environment so as to encourage people
to make sustainable choices when commuting from one place to another?

In the Santa Venera block, a more pedestrian-friendly approach was taken when planning the urban
block. As already mentioned earlier, the site is well connected to a diverse choice of different uses but
during the analyses of the site, it was noted that the area lacks permeability due to a significant number
of dead-end roads, which is very inconvenient for users of the area.

16
The planning approach taken was to create a street network which makes it easier for the pedestrian
to reach services and facilities on foot or by bike. The supermarket is within a 3-minute walk (280
metres), Birkirkara commercial node within 12 minutes (950 metres), Fleur De Lys commercial node
within 4 minutes (300 metres) and Romeo Romano Gardens within 2-3 minutes (300 metres) with the
opening of new streets. The site boasts a number of different uses; a primary school, kindergarten
school, bus stops and a post office, which are all within comfortable walking distance for residents and
users of the area.

Figure 14: Pedestrian movement framework Figure 15: Vehicular movement framework

5.3 Transport Mobility

Santa Venera is currently considered to be a transit locality as it connects Birkirkara to Regional Road.
This therefore means that the locality experiences high traffic levels during peak hours and high speeds
during the rest of the hours. The position of the school does not help with the traffic situation, as during
opening and closing hours, the road adjacent to the school (Triq tal-Fleur De Lys) which acts as a short-
cut from Santa Venera to Fleur De Lys, is temporarily closed for vehicles for safety issues. This creates
high vehicular and pedestrian conflict at the Go Mobile node, where people end up double parking and
making U-turns. The school does not have a drop off and a pick-up point, meaning that sometimes
school transport stops in the main road to drop-off/ pick-up the students, blocking vehicular access in
the main road.

17
Figure 16: Lack of proper planning: school transport dropping off students, blocking off access to other vehicles.

After considering several proposals, it was opted to provide a

drop-off/pick-up point for the school (refer to Figure 10), just
beneath the overhang. In this way, the road adjacent to the
school will remain open at all times and therefore eliminates
current vehicular-pedestrian conflicts.

An issue which was frequently encountered is that the

pavements are relatively small (0.9 metre width), giving rise to
high pedestrian conflicts. One of the objectives is to implement
‘’traffic calming measures on Triq il-Ferrovija and Triq tal-Fleur
de Lys to reduce conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles, to
provide better infrastructure for pedestrian movement.’’ This
was done by the narrowing of the main street and widening of
the pavements, which will act as a traffic calming measure for
vehicles passing through the area and at the same time
providing a safer and more accessible environment for
pedestrians.
Figure 17: Narrow pavements resulting in
pedestrian conflicts

18
6.0 Sustainable Open Space and Water Strategies
Green open spaces play a critical role in urban design. They cool down the urban environment during
high temperatures, provide safer routes for pedestrians and cyclists and offer different types of
activities such as physical activity and social interaction.

It is also evident that open spaces have a positive impact on the health and welfare of an individual. As
stated by World Health Organisation ‘’Having access to green spaces can reduce health inequalities,
improve well-being, and aid in treatment of mental illness’’. Poor quality and lack of open/green space
can impose restrictions for the wellbeing of the inhabitants, such as spending time outdoors, walking,
playing, and leading a healthy lifestyle.

Parks and open space promote sustainability through biodiversity, reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions and through the use of natural resources such as storm water management and food
production.

6.1 Open space

When speaking to residents of Santa Venera, many mentioned that they only have one ‘open’ green
space, the Romeo Romano gardens. Anywhere else is either developed or private fields. The residents
expressed their frustration due to the fact that Romeo Romano is in need of maintenance, and that the
opening hours are very inconvenient to the public, at times closing at 5pm due to illegal activities
happening within the walls of the gardens.

With this information in hand, it was established to provide ‘’a network of open spaces which
accommodation various uses’’ and with different levels of intimacy. In this way, both locals, visitors and
employees are provided with a choice of open spaces to accommodate their needs. The network of
spaces will initiate from the main vehicular route, the conflict zone (as illustrated in Figure 7), situated
at the Go Mobile and public transport intersection point. The present parking bays in front of the outlet
will be removed as to eliminate conflict,
and instead a greener space will be
implemented which will offer a space for
public transport users to wait. This will also
signify the main entrance to the urban
block, with direct visual contact to the
auditorium and the green space adjacent
to it.

On entering the urban block (Figure 19),

the user will find him/herself within a green
space which overlooks the recreational
open space. The green space will serve as a
buffer zone which caters for all user types
and stands in between the school and the
auditorium, right opposite catering
establishments and offices. Seating spaces
will be designed that will entice people to
go and feel comfortable in. The type of
vegetation that will be used will make it a
more enclosed intimate space, Figure 18: Network of open spaces

19
distinguishing it from the openness of the green corridor. The function of the recreational open space
is to serve as a ground for the primary school but during afterschool hours, the space can be utilized by
the public for recreational activities such as physical activities and social groups (e.g. scout groups). The
green corridor connects the commercial zone to the residential zone.

Figure 19: Visual connection between the 'conflict zone' and the landmark (auditorium)

Within one of the residential blocks is a private courtyard which caters for the sole use of the residents.
A playground, urban farming, intimate spaces, amongst others, will be within this courtyard to provide
different generations with choices of activities. This space will promote social interaction between the
residents, instigating a sense of community (which unfortunately has been decreasing in many
localities). Private gardens will perimeter the ground floor level of the apartment blocks, which will act
as a buffer between the private rooms and public pathways.

Figure 20: Private courtyard within residential complex

20
Figure 21: Private gardens that act as buffer zones between public and private spaces

These spaces do not only cater for human needs but also for wildlife support by providing these green
pockets that act as habitats. Seasonal trees will provide shading from sunlight during the summer
months but still allow sunlight to penetrate through during the winter months. Dense shrubs will
provide shelter from strong winds and as a result the comfort of the spaces will be enhanced.

Green spaces can improve the urban climate, decrease the urban heat-island effect and reduce
negative environmental impacts. In terms of social importance, the open spaces can help the residents
to adjust to a healthy lifestyle and with regards to aesthetics, such spaces determine the quality and
characteristics of the surrounding settlements.

6.2 Water Sustainable Urban Design

Water sustainable urban design is about how we can use surface water as a resource whilst at the same
time improving places and spaces around us. Water is becoming scarce due to climate change, the
rising population and urbanisation, and so with careful design such negative impacts can be reduced.
Rainwater can be processed on-site even within dense urban forms.

Urbanisation heavily impacts the quality of water due to hard impermeable paving which prevents
ground water recharge. This in turn will result in polluted water which is collected by the public drainage
systems, disturbing the water cycle.

SUDS (Sustainable urban drainage systems) were applied to the design so as to replicate the natural
drainage from a site before development. They aim to reduce runoff by integrating storm water

21
controls throughout the site in small, discrete units. Through effective control of runoff at source, the
need for large flow attenuation and flow control structures should be minimised.

The fact that Santa Venera is located on a hill, this means that water is directed downwards towards
the valley beneath. As a result of the impermeable surfaces, water will collect in the urbanised valley
and at times may result in flooding when the public storm water system does not cope with the
rainwater volumes. In order to prevent this from happening, SuDs were included in the initial stages of
the design. A series of vegetated strips and drains located around the site, perpendicular to the flow of
water, will collect the hard surface runoff and direct the water to a borehole that is located beneath
the green space (next to the auditorium). The borehole will then direct the water down for ground
water recharge.

Figure 22: Water management system of the block

Rain water collected on the roofs will be directed to the reservoirs located beneath the residential
complex, the auditorium and commercial building. The water from the reservoir will be used for the
general upkeep of the site, mainly for irrigation of the vegetation and for the use of the residents.

22
References

A new strategy of sustainable neighbourhood planning: Five Principles. (2014). [ebook] UnHabitat.
Available at: https://unhabitat.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/5-Principles_web.pdf

Architecture future forms and design for sustainable cities. (2017). Marcelo Cabrera - Mega Ventas.

Ltd, A. (2018). Use of vacant properties for immigrants. [online] Times of Malta. Available at:
https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110413/letters/Use-of-vacant-properties-for-
immigrants.359859

Newgeography.com. (2018). Moving from the Cities to the Suburbs... and Beyond | Newgeography.com.
[online] Available at: http://www.newgeography.com/content/0061-moving-cities-suburbs-and-
beyond

Sustainable Residential Neighbourhood. (2015). Sachin Porkute.

The Role of Open Space in Urban Neighbourhoods for Health-Related Lifestyle. (2014). [ebook]
Ljubljana, Slovenia: Katarina Ana Lestan, Ivan Eržen and Mojca Golobič. Available at:
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

Unfpa.org. (2018). Urbanization | UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund. [online] Available at:
http://www.unfpa.org/urbanization

Urban design compendium. (2007). London: English Partnerships.

Urban Design Strategies in Practice: An Introduction. (1999). [ebook] Alexandrine Press. Available at:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/23288862

Kaliampakos, P. and Benardos, L. (2013). Underground Solutions for Urban Waste Management: Status
and Perspectives.

23