Smart City Malta formally submitted its outline planning application for the development at Ricasoli to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa). The submission includes a full Environmental Impact Assessment and Traffic Impact Assessment.

The Government and Smart City have worked hard to ensure that the project is in line with creating a knowledge-based township to serve as the primary vehicle for the establishment of a world-class ICT and media industry in Malta.

The outcome of this refinement has led to an accentuated bias towards a significantly larger ICT and media business park compensated by a smaller residential component.

In fact, in the Outline Planning Application submitted to Mepa last Tuesday, SmartCity Malta has applied for up to 158,500 square metres of business space, which represents an increase of 54 per cent over the business space which Smart City Malta is contractually bound to develop. On the other hand, the gross floor area of the residential component has been reduced by 30 per cent, down to 60,000 square metres. In terms of the Outline Planning Application, the residential component makes up 19 per cent of the total gross floor area of the project.

The application also provides for a huge public open space of 118,000 square metres, to serve as a primary recreational area for neighbouring communities.

Smart City CEO and board member of Smart City Malta and Smart City Kochi, Fareed Abdulrahman, said the submission "was another important milestone towards promoting Smart City Malta as an IT/media destination". "We are strongly committed to creating a world-class knowledge-based township in Malta and the structure of our submission is clear proof of our intentions. This submission is the result of work carried out as a team by the two members of the joint venture, Smart City and Government."

Smart City Malta and Smart City Kochi are the first two projects part of the global network of knowledge-based industry townships that SmartCity seeks to develop. This global network will foster productive links and tap synergies between knowledge-industry centres worldwide, contributing to economic development.

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