The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works, Chris Bonett, addressed a conference attended by representatives from local councils, NGOs and youth who participated in the ‘Pump It… Empowered’ project, a joint initiative between NGOs MOVE and MMSA (Malta Street Sports Alliance).
Minister Bonett stressed the crucial role of youth in the positive change that the government is bringing to urban spaces, with an emphasis on the environment and alternative mobility. “The energy and creativity of youth can be translated into concrete proposals, as in this case, where recommendations were presented on how to design and operate our public spaces,” he said.
He explained his and the government’s vision for urban planning to serve the people and not the other way around. “Projects such as ‘Vjal Kulṣad’ and the transformation of the Birgu square that we inaugurated a few weeks ago are concrete examples of how we are bringing spaces back to the people, not just as places of passage, but as living centres of identity and community”, concluded Minister Bonett.
On this occasion, three recommendations from the ‘Pump It… Empowered’ project were also presented, based on street sports activities and placemaking processes with young people across Malta. The main recommendations propose a more active participation by young people in the project design process, infrastructure that encourages an active lifestyle as well as structured partnerships between various organisations and entities that lead to the use of public spaces through regular activities.
Minister Bonett welcomed these recommendations and said that they serve as inspiration for policymakers. “If we want young people to be participants in the community, we need to create spaces that give them a voice, opportunities and a sense of partnership in the change we want to see”.
He added that the government will continue to collaborate with local councils and NGOs to integrate these principles into infrastructure and urban development projects, both at local and national levels.
