Exploring the Potential for Timed Cities in Malta: The Case of Paola

Abstract

With ever-increasing interest in the Timed City concept and active mobility-related initiatives that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, several cities in the developed Western world have engaged in projects to move towards sustainable mobility. Malta is a car-dependent small Island State with the highest population density in the European Union. Its transport planning policy, leading to ever-increasing car dependency, is having serious detrimental impacts on environmental, social and economic aspects. The archipelago’s urban environment and demographics provide an ideal context for studying the Timed City concept. This research therefore tests the applicability of the Timed City concept to the Maltese context. A mixed method case study methodology is adopted using GIS and PGIS. Paola, a dense urban locality in Malta of over 9000 inhabitants and spanning 2.5 km2, was chosen. Relevant datasets are mapped out in GIS using ArcGIS Desktop 10.8. Qualitative research to gauge the user perspective using PGIS is ongoing. This paper presents the spatial analysis of the quantitative GIS data and discusses the findings in relation to the current literature. Ultimately, the data indicate undiscovered potential for the Timed City concept to be successfully adapted to such urban contexts, while identifying specific areas requiring improvement and concluding with suggestions for policy intervention and future research.