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Valletta 450 Seminar
Dear all,
The Valletta Alive Foundation is pleased to announce the
"Valletta 450 Seminar" which is to take place on Saturday
the 25th October at The Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise,
Exchange buildings, Republic Street Valletta between 9am and
1pm.
Click for Programme -
Invitation
Everyone who has Valletta at heart is cordially
invited to attend. Entrance is free to all.
The Valletta Alive Foundation announces
'Valletta 450'
With Valletta's 450th Birthday firmly in
sight, this historic occasion forces us to
take stock of the role that this City has
played and will play in our every day lives
as our capital city; our place of residence
or work; and a part of our culture and
historical heritage of world importance. How
does this centennial living monument find
its way and footing in the 21st century?
What is its role? Will it turn 450 in good
shape? How do we as custodians of this
unique heritage wish Valletta to be in the
year 2016?
All of this will be discussed and
authoritative opinions voiced in a
Conference organised by the Valletta Alive
Foundation. A number of high profile
speakers who have had to negotiate Vallettta
all their lives have been invited to speak.
Pencil in the Saturday morning of 25th
October in your diary.
The Foundation will be formally announcing
the speakers and papers submitted by them on
the various aspects they will be tackling in
their contributions during the conference by
the end of July."
Pedestrianisation jeopardized.
The Foundation
wrote to the Prime Minister urging
government to safeguard pedestrian spaces by
appropriate decisions and effective
enforcement by the responsible agencies.
The areas for
pedestrians have increased substantially.
At this crucial stage, it is vital to ensure
that pedestrian areas are truly safeguarded
for pedestrians. We need to avoid
situations where these spaces are
“colonized” by tables and chairs in a
manner which detracts their full
appreciation by the pedestrian.
Bov Streets Alive – what next?
VAF is
discussing the future of this event. It
needs to be complimentary to, rather than
compete with, events such as Notte Bianca.
For one thing resources for Streets Alive is
substantially less, all derived from
sponsors.
More
importantly, the object of regenerating
Valletta in the evening remains. VAF is
considering whether to change the dates
either to May or late September. In May or
June more shops are likely to remain open
till late, whilst in September the events
will be considered as leading to the Notte
Bianca. The role of the retail sector needs
also to be considered. Admittedly,
participation of shops in these events was
very limited.
Another issue
is whether we need to focus the event in the
core of Valletta or try to spread activities
to different parts of the capital. In the
latter case, the concern is that resources
will be spread so thinly, that the level of
activity generated in the core would be
limited. Do you have any thoughts about
the above? If yes let us know. We would be
happy to hear from you.
A Vision for the Grand Harbour
The Foundation
has reviewed the proposed twenty projects
for the Grand harbour and submitted its
thoughts as part of the public consultation
process. An article by VAF Chairman Mr.
Alfred Zahra was featured in the Times of
Malta in October.
It is worth
noting that in April 2007 VAF had submitted
a Memorandum to the Hon. Prime Minister in
April 2007 with detailed proposal for
projects and initiatives for Valletta.
The most
relevant comments submitted to Government
were:
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The
regeneration of Ta' Liesse/Victoria Gate
area providing an enhanced experience to
those walking from the water front into
Valletta.
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Fort St
Elmo to be considered as a complex of
museums combined with catering outlets,
specialized retail, a small hotel, a
venue for open air concerts and limited
leisure activities. This will transform
the Fort into an attraction and a hub of
activity helping the regeneration of
lower Valletta. Access to the Fort and
to the Mediterranean Conference Centre
can be improved by means of a
multistorey car park on the Evans site
as well as better public transport links
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The
redevelopment of the opera house site.
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