As Malta's digital economy and tourism sector continue to expand, there is an increasing demand for additional residential and commercial properties (Admin, 2020). As a result, Malta is undergoing rapid changes, and the public is expressing dissatisfaction with the swift transformation (Fsadni, 2021). Our traditional appearance is being overshadowed by the contemporary design of buildings stacked atop each other, resembling Tetris blocks, with the lower layers gradually being forgotten.

The goal of this project is to highlight the issue of non-compliance with planning policies regarding streetscape. The Planning Authority (PA) has a comprehensive set of design policies in the ‘Development Control Design Policy, Guidance and Standards 2015’ document. Nevertheless, some of these policies are being disregarded by the Planning Authority (PA). An example of this issue is the new apartment block in Xlendi adjacent to the protected Natura 2000 site, Kantra Valley (Arena, 2024). Multiple entities, including Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH), and even the PA's own design advisory committee, raised objections to its development citing concerns about its height, aesthetics, and its highly adverse impact on the Valley area. However, PA ignored the concerns and agreed to the project.

Recently, functionality and minimalism have been taking precedence over form, as there is a preference for buildings that efficiently serve specific purposes (Abdelhamid, 2023). Regrettably, aesthetics often take a back seat during the extensive process of constructing these buildings. The casual observer can easily note that current practices tend to go counter to some of the policies that PA have listed in their lengthy document. These include; “Any developments should aim to create urban environments with local distinctiveness, in the sense of both a distinctive Maltese identity and a character reflecting that of the specific place in which it is to be located” (page 52), “...design should aspire to enrich and improve an existing context...” (page 35), “New development should be compatible with the existing urban fabric” (page 57), “Any design should seek to respect and relate to its context” (page 34) (Planning Authority, 2016).

Christian (2020), states that what we are constructing today is primarily about money rather than preserving heritage. With the recent motivation fueled by inflation, there is a risk of placing value solely in monetary terms, leading to a surge in greed.