Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1028264
27 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 SEPTEMBER 2018 should be put in place for near zero emissions. This should incorporate clean energy, eco-cleaning, envi- ronmental obligations in all planning applications, dis- posal depots with recycling facilities and underground separated waste management and services distribution. 3. Planning Authority should not be pressured into issuing fast planning permits without professional quali- fied independent entities solving the necessary town planning issues that already exist in the area and prepar- ing for future requirements. 4.Traffic flow Planning and new parking provisions need to be seriously planned and imposed. In Western cities, the high-rise build- ings sometimes have their car parks connected under- ground for shared common easy access from secondary roads. 5. One has to plan how to combat the proposed in- crease in air and noise pollu- tion. There are new cladding materials and environmentally friendly equipment that help break down pollution. Ecologi- cal and green friendly solu- tions should be imposed on each project. The polluter pays principle should be adapted. 6. Serious planning on how the services such as water, gas, drainage, electricity, low voltage services providers, garbage removal, cleaning of streets, supply truck man- agement and the like are go- ing to be managed in a safe and serious manner. 7. Future planning of ideal underground, street level and over ground systems for people movement and services need to be prepared now. Areas for above ground systems such as monorails or the like. Maybe links for cable car connections to high density areas, ferries and buses. A combination of many different people mov- ers should be incorporated. People should be able to move underground from one node or building to another to relieve the street conges- tion that is already very high. This is what real planning is all about. Both present and future people move- ment connections have to be designed beforehand. 8. Security for the large amount of people that would be frequenting the area. There should be a purpose made central building to house a system of CCTV in all the streets and 24/7 security police and CCTV monitoring system in diverse places to counter any secu- rity problem. 9. Anti-terrorist measures should be adopted with buildings having the poten- tial of withstanding terror attacks from the street and underlying parking. This could be done by the protec- tion of load-bearing ele- ments. 10. Emergency services such as fire planning, medi- cal emergencies, terrorist threats, disaster planning, evacuation, etc. Many of these essential services need to be incorporated within the central part of this small city for immediate action. These need to be pre- planned as it would be very difficult to place after the projects are completed. 11. Construction Manage- ment teams for the entire Paceville area and the sur- rounding areas should be in- tegrated in the Masterplan. If the government is go- ing to embark on this huge endeavour, we urgently need a dedicated serious team of trained experienced pro- fessional and experienced businesspersons that are go- ing to solely concentrate on this project and co-ordinate the thousands of roughshod pieces into one holistic jig- saw that works. A complete work plan incorporating all the pro- posed projects together with their requirements to link up into a complete small city system is urgently needed. A leading-edge intelligent computerised infrastructural network is the backbone of a city's economy. Once these projects are approved, there are going to be thousands of daily con- struction truck trips through the north harbours and the surrounding areas, noise, dust, months of construction street closures, huge traffic jams. It's the stuff nightmares are made of. If we are going to suffer through this, then the authorities should ensure that the final product is excellent and is beneficial to everyone. Our country has the chance to put together amazing projects that would ben- efit the future generations. Everyone, including the developers will benefit if the job is done professionally. I believe that if the country leaders are better informed and more aware of what is happening, they would do the right thing. respond Town planning literally has gone to the dogs. Ruthless, huge, rushed development without any form of serious planning is a daily event. The country is one dust storm and the developer seems untouchable