George Camilleri

Vigilo magazine, October 2009 Two years ago I had reported that an important step to preserve our countryside had been taken. The Government had announced that the area around Xaghra il-Hamra was to be turned into a National Park. This was after consistent lobbying for over three years by Din l-Art Helwa. Perhaps recognizing this, the Government decided that we would...

Din l-Art Helwa newsletter, August 2009 Of course any architectural project of scale within Valletta is bound to be controversial. Valletta belongs to us all and we feel deeply about it. Indeed we are united in what we don’t like about Valletta’s City Gate, but not how we want to replace it. In choosing the world-renowned architect Renzo Piano, the government was...

Times of Malta, 31st July 2009 – The law of unintended consequences holds that there are often initiatives, invariably taken with the best of intentions, which lead in the event to negative or perverse results absolutely contrary to what was intended. The Prime Minister’s intention, announced in his long-awaited Blueprint for Mepa reform, to arrogate planning policy to himself is another...

Times of Malta, 23 July 2009 – In the 18th century, young men from the north of Europe frequently travelled on a “grand tour” to the south, to complete their education. They visited France and Italy, admiring old monuments and viewing famous cities, buildings and works of art. At the turn of the 19th century, many of these travellers were taking...

Times of Malta, 22 July 2009  The long awaited proposals for the reform of Mepa have finally been revealed. There is much to commend in many of the proposals. Some are eminently sensible and may resolve the planning catastrophe we have been living these past 40 years. Undoubtedly, one of the main problems we had was that Mepa did not seem to...