Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/649887
14 YUSUF Islam (aka Cat Stevens) may not have had Malta in mind when he wrote that song more than 30 years ago; but if you listen to it today, the lyrics seem singu- larly apt to the local situation. Our buildings may not exactly 'crack the sky' with scrapers… yet… but they certainly seem to be gobbling more and more of our already very limited public space. And while our roads do not 'go on and on' indefinitely… the traffic that now congests them certainly does, with increasingly harmful effects on our physical and (some might argue) even psychological health. Above all, the resounding ques- tion asked in the chorus seems to strike a particularly relevant chord in 21st century Malta. Where do the children play? I am old enough to remember a time when the an- swer was fairly straightforward. Out in the street, of course… at a time when cars were few and far between: far enough to also dou- ble up as impromptu 'goalposts' for street football matches. All that seems a long time ago now. Any child who tried playing football in the streets would most likely end up as another traffic ac- cident statistic. Meanwhile, what passes for 'public spaces' in local communities are, often as not, sterilised and sanitized beyond all reason. Public gardens and parks, for instance, are dotted with the ubiquitous signposts to prohibit anything, football to Frisbees to even bicycles. But before getting to these and other issues, there is a more press- ing concern. Late last year, an accident at a Paceville nightclub exposed more than just a certain laxity in health and safety stand- ards across the board; it also laid bare the prevalence of underage minors in an entertainment dis- trict that is now very emphatically geared up for adults only. Children's Commissioner Paul- ine Miceli recently sounded the alarm over the issue: not so much because children seem to frequent this area when it is very clearly an inappropriate environment for them…. but more because, given the lack of alternatives, they don't really have all that much choice. Here, too, Cat Stevens' question seems relevant. So I may as well ask it directly to Pauline Miceli, who is sitting across a desk from me at the Children's Commission office in Santa Lucija. Where do the children play? "Ideally, not in a place like Pace- ville," comes the prompt reply. "Paceville has changed a lot in character over the years. It was never a suitable environment for young teenagers to begin with. But now it has become a place where there are a lot of 'gentleman's clubs', which can almost be talked of as 'traps' for young adolescents. Clearly, the place targets a more adult market today… which also means that the younger generation has been left with nowhere to go. We have to think seriously about creating alternatives to Paceville; alternatives which provide a safer environment for younger people." Sporadic attempts have been made over the years to address this issue. One of the more suc- cessful ones was the 'skatepark' that now occupies the derelict roundabout at Tal-Qroqq, close to the University. Is this the sort of thing she has in mind? "Up to a point yes. But I'm not sure how suitable the one you re- fer to actually is. The problem with that area is that it is surrounded by roads on all sides; which also means it is exposed to traffic and fumes all day long. It might not be the healthiest place for youngsters to gather in. But yes, we certainly need to create more spaces like that, where teenagers can vent their energies…" However, it seems we are almost moving in the opposite direction. Hardly a day goes by without the announcement of an investment project involving (for example) a new supermarket or petrol sta- tion… yet how many times do we hear of a project to create urban open spaces which can be used for cycling, skateboarding, roller- blading and similar activities? Is enough effort being made in this direction? "Perhaps not enough, no. Per- haps we are not sufficiently aware of the importance of such things; even in local communities. One thing that has happened in re- cent years is that children – not just teenagers, but also small chil- dren – can no longer play in the streets, like they used to. It is not only a problem in Malta: all coun- tries face it, to a greater or lesser degree. The trend is now to create pedestrian zones which are suit- able, not just for children, but also for adults… for the community as a whole. The communal spaces we used to enjoy have now been taken over by cars. It is the motorised vehicle that has taken possession of our towns and villages. In many parts of Europe there is now a con- certed effort is to reclaim those spaces…in Malta, not so much." But it's not all doom and gloom. There have been some success stories in this regard. The pedes- trianisation of Bisazza Street in Sliema, for instance, may have caused teething problems and exacerbated traffic in surround- ing streets; but there can be little doubt that the community has benefitted from the resulting pub- lic space. All the same, however, in most communities the streets and squares remain very firmly the do- main of the almighty automobile. "We have to make a conscious, determined effort to regain more space. Playing fields, for instance, are designed for little children; and they are used by little chil- dren, in all localities. But because there are no other alternatives for slightly older children, you also get teenagers frequenting the same areas. Nothing essen- tially wrong with that, but… why are there so few places intended for that age-group? How can we expect our youth to grow up in a healthy, communal environment, if we don't actually provide them with anywhere to entertain them- selves?" Again, we seem to be heading in the opposite direction. One par- ticularly noticeable aspect of Mal- tese public spaces is the almost military regimentation through which their use is governed. Visit almost any public garden in any part of Malta, and the first thing you are almost certain to see is a notice listing out all the activities that cannot take place there. These will usually include all the things that people in other coun- tries go to public gardens specifi- cally to do: including, as earlier mentioned, playing football and riding bicycles. "I agree. Unfortunately, local councils are not always aware of such issues. I was in a council until recently, and I used to push these issues a lot. There are other entities, too. For instance, Sports Malta. We have a serious prob- lem with obesity in Malta; among other health issues related to lack of exercise. But are there enough facilities to address these prob- lems? I, for example, am a mem- ber of the National Pool… but the time windows available when I can actually use that facility are very limited. There are too many peo- ple trying to use too few facilities. More sports facilities have to be in place: not just swimming pools, naturally, but even – or especially – places where children can ride bicycles…" Cycling is of particular impor- tance, because apart from consti- tuting healthy exercise in its own right, it also offers a cleaner alter- native to our national addiction to motor vehicle-use (with all the associated problems of traffic and pollution). "Ideally we should be encouraging a culture of bicycle- use as much as possible. Instead we are doing the opposite… we are creating obstacles, or limit- ing the space where bikes can be used…" In the absence of State (or local council) provided facilities, it of- ten falls to individual community efforts to provide such alterna- tives. "One thing that impressed me recently was an activity held in Mosta. There is a pedestrianised pjazza by the Church, and on this occasion it was full of young peo- ple playing traditional Maltese games with children… skipping, hopscotch, that sort of thing. At first I thought it was an event or- ganised by the local council; but when I asked I discovered it was an initiative organised by a volun- tary group…" The group turned out to be one of the smaller local Christian churches. "It wasn't a religious event as such. The organisers weren't preaching… even though, if you spoke to them, then yes, they would bring up their views on religion. Not with the children, however. And there was no money collected, either. They even pro- vided a carwash service for free. When I asked why they did all this, they replied that they wanted to help out… to offer a service to the community…" It was a much-appreciated ser- vice, too. "People gravitated there; chil- dren played games and had fun…. There was a lovely atmosphere. What made it stand out, however, was that it was a case of individu- als wanting to be part of the com- munity, and doing something for the benefit of the community they are part of. A community within a community…" Traditionally, in fact, it has al- ways fallen to religious organi- sations to organise activities for youngsters. In the years when there no other denominations of Christianity present on the island (to speak of, at any rate) it was usually the MUSEUM or some other, Church-affiliated organisa- tion. This raises the question of whether Malta can afford to con- tinue relying almost exclusively on such private initiatives… espe- cially at a time of increased plural- ity in religion. "What I would like to see is more public spaces made available, so that anyone else who would like to organise community activities can do so. We need to start building our communities from the ground up. We have to regain the streets and squares as our own. But of course, I am aware that there are difficulties. If you try clos- Interview By Raphael Vassallo maltatoday, SUNDAY, 6 MARCH 2016 A sick or underprivileged child being used to raise money for charity, for instance. It makes me very uncomfortable. Are we going back to a time when children were trotted out with begging bowls in the street? 'BEGGING' It is the motorised vehicle that has taken possession of our towns and villages. In many parts of Europe there is now a concerted effort to reclaim those spaces… in Malta, not so much URBAN SPACE Where do the children