Sliema Local council has welcomed the opportunity to review concepts for a pilot embellishment project in the heart of Sliema which have been proposed by Townsquare. The aim is to improve the attractiveness of the public spaces, introduce more greenery and prioritise the needs of pedestrians, bicycle and other transport users. If successful, the project could form part of an ongoing strategy to enhance the public spaces within other localities in Sliema.
A presentation of preliminary concepts has been developed by the lead architect for the Townsquare project, Martin Xuereb and Associates, and includes a range of proposals for soft and hard landscaping such as new paved surface design, street furniture, signage and lighting, accessible paving with drop kerbs, electric bicycle bays and the introduction of new plants and street trees.
The location identified for the pilot project is the intersection between the top of Bisazza Street and the start of High Street, which forms one of the busiest spots for vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the commercial core.
Sliema Council Mayor Anthony Chircop explains “The next step would be to involve a team of design consultants and undertake a detailed study in consultation with the council, local stakeholders, key authorities, and experts in pedestrian flows, traffic management and landscaping.”
Once the design guidelines are prepared, they could be adopted by the council to assist with commissioning and will provide a consistent quality and hierarchy of design to be rolled out across other Sliema localities.
Proposed Embellishment Areas
In order to kick start the project, Townsquare will provide resources to develop the design guidelines with input from their local and international design team and refine the design concepts and prepare preliminary costs for the project implementation. The future development costs could then be partially financed by Townsquare as part of a longer-term commitment to the embellishment of the area.
Townsquare recognises that taking a partnership approach is key to creating an attractive and sustainable town centre, and the council hope that once implemented the project would encourage the participation and support of other businesses.
