The Malta Independent 10 February 2025, Monday
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In 2025, Project Green will be ‘showing that it is delivering,’ CEO says

Semira Abbas Shalan Sunday, 12 January 2025, 09:00 Last update: about 29 days ago

The CEO of Project Green Joseph Cuschieri said that the coming years, starting from 2025, Project Green will be much more active, and it will "show that it is delivering on many aspects."

Joseph Cuschieri was appointed CEO of Project Green, the agency responsible for implementing Malta's green initiatives, in early 2024. He succeeded Steve Ellul, who stepped down to run as a candidate for the last European Parliament elections.

Cuschieri spoke to The Malta Independent on Sunday on the agency's current and future green projects, and on its pledge to create green open spaces within 10 minutes' walk from people's homes.

Asked what Project Green stands for and whether it compensates for the "jungle of concrete" in Malta, Cuschieri said that the agency, established in early 2023, aims to create green and public open spaces within urban areas.

He said that there is a "big need" for recreational areas and open spaces where people can escape their daily routines, given the country's current development rate.

Cuschieri said the agency works closely with local councils and stakeholders to ensure projects align with community needs.

"It is useless to have all our technical people create the most beautiful park designs when it might not be what the community expects," he said.

Wied Ghajn Rihana

 

He said that Project Green's approach involves public consultations and designing projects that satisfy stakeholders' expectations as much as possible.

However, Cuschieri said that "the truth is, this is not enough." He said that other initiatives, like for example more pedestrianisation projects, are needed to complement Project Green's work and provide more open spaces for public enjoyment.

"This is so that people can have more open spaces which provide car free zones for recreational purposes, hence creating the qualitative leap. Furthermore, it is crucial that pedestrianisation projects include activities and events which attract the public.

Cuschieri said this was something he would like to see more progress on and will do his best to work with other entities to create new opportunities in this regard.

Discussing the agency's progress, Cuschieri said that since his appointment, Project Green was focused on building capacity and skills to deliver projects consistently in the long-term, taking into account a current portfolio of 120 projects with a value of €350 million slated for delivery between 2025 and 2027.

This portfolio keeps increasing every month with new project requests, Cuschieri said.

Between 2023 and 2024, Project Green delivered 28 projects, including 18 public spaces and 10 valley regeneration initiatives.

By the end of this year, the agency will be completing 20 projects amounting to 130,000 square metres of new public green spaces and starting the implementation of another 20.

Benghajsa

 

In fact, by the end of March 2025, the agency plans to issue and start 20 new projects, including high-profile initiatives such as the Bormla garden (instead of the AUM dormitory), the San Ġwann regeneration project, St Anne's Street in Floriana, and the Floriana Pinetum gardens amongst others.

"What we will be delivering this year amounts to around 130,000 square metres of new public green spaces, while starting work on another 1.2 million square metres," Cuschieri said, describing it as a "massive drive" for new projects.

Over the next two years, the agency aims to deliver 50 new projects, he said.

Cuschieri said he understood that the agency was criticised last year that it was not delivering on its projects, but at the same time, the entity needed to make sure it had the capacity to deliver.

"Of course, we understand that the public expectation is huge, and we are committed to deliver them with our capable team of professionals which include, architects, land surveyors, engineers, environmental scientists, project managers who are really dedicated and focused on delivering the projects," Cuschieri said.

"I believe 2025 will be the year of Project Green," Cuschieri said, and the public will be seeing more activity from the agency.

Cuschieri also acknowledged public criticism of some projects, such as St Anne's in Floriana, the San Ġwann project, and the roofing of the Santa Venera tunnel, which faced backlash when initially announced. Plans have since changed for all projects.

Asked if he believed that Project Green could be more cautious and do more pre-planning before announcing projects, ensuring that they can be done before creating controversy, Cuschieri said "the truth is that there were instances where a concept was launched."

He said some changes were necessary after deeper studies and assessments, particularly in large-scale projects.

Cuschieri said that while the changes would not stray too far from the original project plans, some issues can crop up which would not have been foreseen before.

Using the San Ġwann project as an example, he said that the original plan included an underpass, but the agency decided to avoid generating waste and opted for traffic re-arrangements instead.

He said that the concept will be implemented as planned, but the only thing that has changed is that the underpass will not be done.

Cuschieri said the agency has done a detailed traffic impact assessment covering a period of months and is in discussions with Transport Malta with regards to the project.

Eventually, the agency will consult with the San Gwann Local Council and other stakeholders, and the project will commence.

"Many times, when projects are announced, it would be a concept. The project changes along the way, and this is normal," he said, noting that Local Councils' feedback is often incorporated, though not all requests can be met.

Cuschieri also said he prefers to go to the local councils with studies which have already been conducted, to be in a position to answer all their questions.

"That is why we say we are creating green open spaces for the community, with the community," Cuschieri said.

Responding to claims that some projects resemble "concrete gardens," Cuschieri said the agency uses sustainable and recyclable materials with minimal environmental impact.

Cuschieri said this is part of the agency's ethos, and the entity does not do "concrete jungles."

He mentioned successful projects like Bengħajsa, a 20,000 square metre green space with picnic areas, and Ghajn Rihana, a regenerated derelict valley.

"Concrete never touches our projects," he said, adding that a balance is needed between green areas and structures like playgrounds and reading spaces.

Cuschieri was asked about the green walls, the vertical gardens at the Marsa and Corradino industrial estates and the Mosta Technopark, which were unveiled some three years ago under then-Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia.

At the end of last year, the government's industrial land management company INDIS said it decided to discontinue the project, saying that the plant-filled walls use too much water, outweighing the environmental benefits.

"We are against the green walls, and we will not be doing them," Cuschieri said, adding that he believed this was a "failed experiment" which everyone involved has learned from.

He said the green walls face many challenges, such as Malta's dry climate, and where to put them - which he said they would not survive in densely traffic areas.

"There is a widespread understanding that this experiment has failed. If there are opportunities where they could be done in areas where they could be well-cultivated, then that might be a possibility, however, Project Green has no plans to pursue green walls," Cuschieri said.

On balancing pedestrianisation projects with traffic concerns, Cuschieri said the agency promotes walking and aims to create open spaces within a 10-minute walking distance of residents' homes.

Traffic impact assessments are conducted with Transport Malta for each project, but he said some public requests for additional parking cannot always be accommodated.

"We are generally against that. Our philosophy is to reduce traffic in the area as much as possible for a better quality of life. Our pledge is to encourage people to ditch their cars and reach these parks on foot as much as possible," he said.

Asked about the Msida Creek project, and whether it bothered him that government is moving forward with its plans for flyovers in the area, Cuschieri acknowledged that there were two different perspectives for this area - that of the Chamber of Architects', and that of Infrastructure Malta, whose plans are now being implemented.

Cuschieri noted that the current project will include green and recreational areas, and Project Green is in favour of opportunities for opening more spaces for the public to enjoy.

He said that the agency wants to re-launch the Community Greening Programme scheme this year, collaborating with Local Councils on several greening projects.

Cuschieri pointed out that there is indeed a wide understanding between government entities for the need for more open spaces.

"Malta has reached a certain level of exponential growth, and the economy has grown beyond expectations. Having achieved this, the public is now keener to have more open spaces and a better quality of life" Cuschieri said.

He said that one might ask if the Local Plans could have provided for more open spaces years ago, to which he said that while it already does, there is the need for more.

Cuschieri was asked if it would have been better to have safeguarded past existing open spaces, which have been taken over by development.

"I do not think it is too late. There are always things which one can do from a policy and planning perspective to address this public concern regarding development," Cuschieri said.

He said that Project Green is definitely a step in the right direction, but it needs to be complemented.

Cuschieri said that things have certainly changed over the decades, and while there were indeed more open spaces in the past, the economy was not as strong, and there were very few opportunities.

He described it as a "double-edged sword," and said the country needs to find a balance between development, entrepreneurship and increase in population, and open spaces.

"One might ask, shouldn't we have planned for open spaces in the past? Maybe, yes, but the situation is not at a point of no return," Cuschieri said.

In 2025, Project Green plans to engage more with the public, Cuschieri said. "We will also try to contribute to the debate - the qualitative aspect of our standard of living, the public need for open spaces," Cuschieri said, adding that the agency is working with government, and the public entities involved, to increase awareness.

The agency is also currently developing a website which displays all of Malta and Gozo's parks, and where they are situated, which people can access and use to decide where to go for recreational activities, he said.

Each park will have its geo-location data, whether it is children and animal-friendly, how large it is, and other information available to the public, Cuschieri said.


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