In spite of Renzo Piano's self-declared long-standing 'love affair' with Valletta, I am afraid that his plans for its future do not augur well for a happy union together.

There are, in my modest opinion, very major flaws in the projected design for the city's desired facelift.

What is really and urgently required at the entrance of Valletta is a serious, sustained and energetic cleaning campaign. By this I mean 24/7 street cleaning and maintenance, strict vigilance and green law enforcement. The general feel on entering Valletta is one of shabbiness, dirt and dereliction. But this is not removed by a newly erected building, and a backdrop of tall lampposts, peeping through a wide breach in the bastions...

Let us learn from previous mistakes and not embark on projects that future generations will have to redo in the way we are now obliged to do.

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