The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) have published a best practice guide for visual simulations that are an integral part of the planning process. With the formulation of these new guidelines the Authority is confident that the processing and evaluation of planning applications and associated studies will be enhanced and of a higher quality.

MEPA said that the new guidelines set standards for the way visualisations of proposed buildings and other structures which are requested during the assessment of planning applications are prepared, presented and used.

"This will ensure that the visualisations are clearly and easily understood, that they are accessible to the public and that they could be relied upon by all those involved in the planning process to inform their judgement."

The methodologies advocated in these guidelines are based on a combination of land-based surveying, LIDAR data, on-site photography and the production of accurate computer-generated three dimensional (3D) models. These guidelines do not cover other methods of visualisation such as hand-drawn sketches, computer animation, video montage and physical models.

MEPA Chairman Perit Vincent Cassar said, "visualisations are an essential tool to represent a proposed change or addition to a landscape. They form any integral part of the design and planning application process thereby improving communication between all stakeholders within the planning process and improving decision making. While important for architects, urban designers, planners, case officers, decision makers, consultees and those involved in producing visual simulations, these guidelines will secure hat visualisations are technically accurate and credible."

"While all planning applications which require an Environmental Planning Statement (EPS) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will conform to the requirements set out in these guidelines, however a proportionate approach, depending on the size and context, of other proposed development applications will be adopted for which a visualisation study will be requested."

It is within MEPA's prerogative to determine at the initial stages of the application whether a Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV) map is required, the number of viewpoints, the level of detail of the 3D model and whether single frame images only as opposed to also having panorama images will suffice, MEPA said.

MEPA has also published a new policy document (DC15) which sets out a new direction for architectural design policy and is a collective commitment towards good design in our built environment.

The new Development Control Policy, Design and Guidance document, known as DC15,has done away with the old approach adopted in previous design policy formulations and opted for a new one based on context, MEPA said.

"The document initiates a vibrant purpose where every design project cannot be created and assessed in isolation but must be seen within the totality of its immediate context, which in most cases constitute the street. In DC15, streets are not only transitional spaces but more importantly are social places which are vital to the success of the overall workings of an urban settlement."

Divided into 5 parts, the DC15 document, moves progressively from the broader contextual considerations to focus on issues of urban form, architectural quality and architectural elements. Within the framework, the document adopts three types of provisions, Policy/Regulation (P), Good-practice guidance (G) and Technical standards (S).

MEPA said that the policy provision carries the most weight in the assessment of development proposals. On the other hand, the Good-practice guidance provision generally provides the intent and establishes the principle but that may then have diverse solutions to achieve such a principle while the Technical standards supplement the other two provisions in terms of specific quantitative targets and which are non-controversial, objective, universally-agreed numerical considerations.

The two parts of the document which focus on contextual design and urban form, are mainly characterised by policies in the acknowledgement that these parts contains critical aspects that have most bearing on the context/street and that can make or break a streetscape – they are the 'main shapers of the street'. These are therefore the parts that need to be controlled most, not to produce standardised buildings but so as to guarantee certain fundamental street principles and parameters.

MEPA said that the part of the document which deals with architectural quality contains a mix of provisions, with a reduced number of policies and conversely a predominance of good-practice guidance. "The final part which deals with architectural elements is in turn primarily characterised by good-practice guidance that could have different architectural solutions and does not contain any technical standards. A greater element of deviation is therefore possible within this section, particularly given the inevitable subjective nature of many considerations contained therein."

"The policy document provides clear guidelines for Periti, developers and others on development interventions within Urban Conservation Areas (UCAs). DC15 has enough safeguards and parameters to guarantee that the evolutionary changes occurring within UCAs are respectful of, and enrich, their historical context."

"DC15 also strongly encourages the integration of an energy-conscious design that reduces the need to heat and cool a building," said MEPA. "This can be achieved by ensuring a tight building fabric designed to the highest standards, accompanied by integrally-designed energy conservation and energy generation interventions that allow for the production of green clean energy renewable contributing to the EU's 2020 'nearly-zero energy building' target."

DC2015 is making a number of supplementary planning guidance documents obsolete. These include the DC 2007, Development Control within Urban Conservation Areas (July1995), Shop fronts (May 1994) and Traffic Generation, Access and Parking (Circular to Architects PA 3/93).

The Authority said that the new Development Control Policy, Design and Guidance 2015 is the result of a collaborative process and effort led by MEPA and principle author Dr Antoine Zammit involving academia, Periti, decision-makers and experts in the fields of sanitary law, transport and conservation.

The best practice guide for visual simulations and the new DC15 can be viewed on the Authority's website www.mepa.org.mt.

The Authority is also publishing the submissions it received during the public consultation phase from various stakeholders pertaining to the draft DC15.

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