The Government of Malta's proposal to establish national parks at Manoel Island, White Rocks, and Fort Campbell provides a significant opportunity to make a fundamental shift towards long‑term environmental stewardship, public accessibility, and cultural regeneration, the Chamber of Architects and Civil Engineers has said.

The Chamber said it welcomes this direction while emphasising that the success of these flagship projects depends on rigorous planning, strong design leadership, and a clear identity for each site.

In this context, and as a response to the Government's Shape Your Space consultation through Parksinmalta.mt, the Chamber published a reply: Conserving Nature, Promoting Adaptive Reuse: Sustainable Stewardship of Malta's National Parks.

"This publication outlines a vision for national parks in Malta and presents a framework to guide the transformation of these three major sites into Malta's national parks.

It said that the new national parks will only succeed if they are identity‑driven, embedded in a Baukultur principles, and their design procured by competition.

The Chamber underscores the importance that the White Rocks, Manoel Island and Fort Campbell develop a unique, context-driven identity, grounded in their history.

It is also stresses how across all three sites, existing buildings are to be considered as assets and not obstacles, promoting adaptive reuse. It calls for open and transparent architecture design competitions, to ensure excellence, transparency and public trust in the procurement of the design services.

"The organisation of architectural design competition is a guarantee of high-quality design outcomes as it pitches the best design proposals on the basis of merit before an expert jury, as opposed to conventional tenders which award contracts on the basis of cheapest price, which seldom results in the best use of public funds in the long-term," it said.

The Chamber offered its technical assistance in the organisation and management of architectural design competitions as it has done on a number of occasions with various public entities in the past. Several other key proposals can also be found in its detailed public consultation document.

The Chamber also said that existing structures across the three sites should be treated as assets, not constraints. "Adaptive reuse provides environmental benefits through reduced embodied carbon, while preserving the cultural narratives embedded in the built fabric. Function must be central to any restoration strategy to ensure long‑term care, daily use, and active stewardship."

Connectivity & spatial strategy

The parks must become part of a wider national green network, the Chamber said.

"Priority should be given to: Sustainable transport: walking, cycling, public transport, and in coastal contexts, maritime links; Restriction of vehicular penetration; Strong connections with surrounding communities through formal and informal spaces."

Site‑Specific Potentials

The following identity proposals by the Chamber are only indicative, simply to show how each National Park can take on a distinct role within a larger network of public spaces, avoiding overlap and encouraging diversity, it said.

White Rocks - A coastal cultural & educational park

With an extensive shoreline and a varied collection of buildings, White Rocks is well‑suited for a cultural, educational, and research‑oriented identity. It said the site can become a national hub for environmental awareness, science, outdoor learning, and adaptive reuse. Its coastal setting supports low‑impact recreation and landscape‑driven design.

Manoel Island - An urban park

It said Manoel Island's location within a dense urban context positions it as an active city park with strong recreational, sporting, and maritime potential. Its identity should emphasise daily use, walkability, and integration with Valletta, Sliema, and Gżira. Existing military and hospital structures offer significant opportunities for adaptive reuse, it said.

Fort Campbell - A landscape & heritage park

Fort Campbell's remote coastal setting and unique military fabric lend themselves to a landscape‑led, contemplative park rooted in ecology, memory, and heritage conservation, it said. The site requires sensitive intervention, extensive restoration, and careful phasing due to its fragile condition. Its identity should privilege nature, tranquillity, and minimal built intervention, it said.