Dyan Currie and Clive Harridge, president and secretary-general, respectively, of the Commonwealth Association of Planners, were recently in Malta to attend the Commonwealth People's Forum in the run-up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The Malta Chamber of Planners met both Dyan and Clive and had the opportunity to exchange views on current planning issues, particularly with reference to Malta.
The CAP represents over 40,000 planners worldwide and plays a leading role in developing the planning profession throughout the countries of the Commonwealth. The MACP forms part of the European section of CAP which also includes the Royal Town Planning Institute (UK) and the Cyprus Association of Town Planners.
The main theme of this year's CPF was What makes societies resilient? This is a crucial current theme in view of issues relating particularly to climate change, increased urbanisation and poverty, issues very relevant to Malta.
As Dyan clearly pointed out in her address at the CPF, proper planning is an important tool to ensure that strong societies are developed, societies which are resilient and can meet the challenges that the future may bring in a sustainable manner.
According to Dyan: "Good planning is the best way to manage urban growth, to secure the necessary infrastructure investment, determine appropriate settlement patterns for our cities and towns and to generate economic development that contributes positively to the well-being of communities and the natural environments."
The Planning Institute of Australia had run a programme called Planning Matters. This programme, aimed at public and private sector organisations as well as the general public, sought to promote a better understanding towards the importance of planning as a discipline and as a crucial tool for sustainable development as well as create a greater understanding towards and support for the work of planners.
This view is also strongly expressed by the Royal Town Planning Institute's publication Delivering Better Development: The role of the urban and rural planner. Planning seeks to positively manage development through the creation of good policies and practical solutions for managing development, supporting economic growth and access to jobs while protecting the environment and building sustainably with the aim to improve places for the local communities.
Proper planning principles in Malta are often challenged by strong, well-resourced lobby groups representing commercial interests, which are often favourably considered by short-sighted politicians at the expense of sustainable development. Most of these developments have turned out to be speculative in nature, profitable only to their promoters and counter to the enhancement of the quality of both the environment and the life of the local community. Misjudged or flawed planning decisions taken intentionally or unintentionally, yet equally detrimental, and the reluctance to act on what might decrease popularity, have in the past created serious problems, mainly with regard to traffic, pollution and over-development. A lax application of planning policy, and a laissez-faire attitude, have in general led to "market failure". In land use planning it is fundamental to take good decisions in a timely manner and which are neither too rash and ill-thought nor unnecessarily protracted and damaging to the competitiveness of enterprise.
Changes in the legislation to entrust greater power to the few rather than focusing on subsidiarity, community engagement and sustainability, will not only result in higher costs to the society to sustain infrastructure and public services, among others, but will also widen the divide between those who have and those who have not, increasing the possibility in future of greater dependency on the state and increased poverty.
For more information visit the Chamber's website www.kmap.org.mt or email on: [email protected]