The Challenges of Implementing Pedestrian-Focused Interventions Using a Multi-stakeholder Approach: The Case Study of Malta

This research addresses a key challenge for sustainable urban mobility: encouraging a modal shift to non-polluting and active modes of transport, particularly walking, through interventions in the urban environment. These interventions are oftentimes designed as temporary measures which can manifest as more permanent long-term changes. The study focuses on the car-dependent island of Malta and seeks to understand the current challenges and opportunities in the islands’ walking environment. Using semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders (governmental entities, non-governmental organisations, private entities and higher education institutions) and a workshop with the community, an analysis of the varying perspectives and direct input is conducted. The coded qualitative data collected describes the current issues within the local urban environment that discourage the use of active modes of transport. The thematic analysis of the interview data highlights the different experiences of stakeholders and what they perceive to be the main barriers to implementing temporary urban changes and what can be done to overcome these barriers. The preliminary findings of this study are an important first step in bringing together the diverse feedback from the relevant stakeholders, emphasising their key role in planning for more active and sustainable urban mobility.