Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1391768
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 JULY 2021 OPINION A better shade of green those self-same two buses I mentioned earlier, and stick them in precisely the same situation they were stuck in (and the rest of us with them) just a couple of days ago… …and just by adding a cou- ple of England [or Italy] flags in the windows, and playing 'It's coming home!' [or… erm… actually, I have no idea: what is the equivalent Italian football anthem, any- way? Ah, yes, of course: 'Vaf- fanculo!'…] Anyway: just by add- ing those simple little au- dio-visual touches… hey presto! The same situation miraculously transforms in- to the cause of an instant street-party (instead of what it would have been just yes- terday: i.e., the cause of an instant, road-rage induced punch-up…) It is, I suppose why they call it the 'magic of football': just by replacing the expression 'traffic jam' with 'carcade' (and as far as I'm aware: in football, you're allowed to make at least three substi- tutions) suddenly, the exact same phenomenon trans- forms, from the agonizingly frustrating inconvenience we all know (and love to hate) so much … …into a perfectly natural expression of all things as- sociated with 'merriment' 'festivity', and 'jubilation' (including - just to add to all the other auditory incon- veniences – that incredibly annoying Cliff Richard song: 'Congratulations, and cele- brations'…) I mean… not to stress to fine a point on it, or any- thing, but… none of that is exactly what you would call 'logical', is it? And most (if not all) of it, could very easily be put down to a collective case of precisely happened to me just the other day. Our subconscious avails of the opportunity to simply 'jump into the driver's seat'… and, at moments such as this, our reaction is, 'Screw this shit! Who the hell cares, any- way…?' Besides: just as I myself had both criticized, and unwit- tingly participated in, the same pointless 'horn-hoot- ing' ritual… maybe it's the sort of 'irrationality' we all willingly accept, and buy in- to, precisely because it is in our own interest to do so. Be- cause maybe… just maybe… the only alternative to 'hoot- ing your horn', when stuck in traffic, is – deep, deep down – to 'pull a trigger'… The bottom line, I sup- pose, is… well, that's football for you, I suppose. A game which exists solely so that supposedly mature adults can carry behaving like little children… and keep getting away with it. So here goes: damn right that was a penalty! And clear as daylight, too…! So come on England! 'Here we go, here we go, here we go!' (and all that…) QUALITY of life cannot be measured solely on income generation, employment levels, or increased consumption. The concept of social wellbeing is much wider than making ends meet. It is also about having sufficient time to spend with our families, pursue interests or simply relax. Good health – physical and men- tal – is what leads to enjoyment and content- ment. The drive to green our urban spaces is part of this broader thinking. It is important that people have a place where they can rest, take in pleasant surroundings, meet friends or en- joy some peace and quiet in a relaxing environ- ment. There is recognition that in the rush for pro- gress there was neglect of the value of green environments and fresh air. The COVID-19 pandemic and concern over climate change have brought these issues to the fore and there is now an increased desire for positive change. Towards this end, the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF) will be financing a €4.5 million urban greening pilot project in a number of different localities which will be managed by GreenServ, a new project imple- mentation arm of WasteServ. The latest project to be announced, in Ħam- run, will see an area currently used as a car park transformed into a roof garden. This will be an open green space with trees and shrubs. Vertical landscaping will be incorporated on the façade of new structures to integrate them into the overall design. A lift will be installed to make it easily accessible to all, and the garden will be equipped with public toilets. The well thought out design ensures that there will be no loss in the number of car parking spaces. This is one of a series of greening initiatives. Another is planned at Triq il-Wied, Qormi, an area of a valley impacted by rainwater at var- ious times. It will be very much at the centre of the community, where hundreds of families live. A third project, in Mosta, will see the trans- formation of a derelict space in the middle of a residential area (Triq il-Mitħna, off Vjal l-In- dipendenza). Today it is an unkept area which is inaccessible to the general public and a con- stant eyesore to passers-by. Once the greening project is complete, families in the locality will benefit from the much improved surroundings for years to come. Another benefit of this ur- ban greening is that it takes away the threat of the area being developed. A fourth initiative is in the pipeline for Żab- bar, with the full details to be announced in the coming weeks. Such projects are an illustration of the con- cept of intelligent and sustainable planning. NDSF's social investment in this area demon- strates the importance it gives to initiatives which will improve the wellbeing of society through a better quality of the island's green and blue infrastructure, that is, in water man- agement, climate adaptation, less heat stress, more biodiversity, better air quality, sustaina- ble energy production and healthy soils. NDSF will in the years to come, continue to fund other urban greening projects of national importance mostly in areas characterised by heavy traffic and urban congestion in order to optimise the socio-economic benefit within our communities. The National Development and Social Fund is a government agency established for the pur- pose of managing and administering seventy per cent of the contributions received from Community Malta Agency, set up by virtue of the Malta Citizenship Act Cap.188. Raymond Andrew Ellul Raymond Andrew Ellul is CEO, National Development and Social Fund