On the 27th and 28th of September, the University of Malta and its partners organized the Science in the City Festival, as part of European Researchers’ Night. This is Malta’s main annual Science and Art festival. The Gżira Pilot team at the University of Malta participated in the event with a stand showcasing VARCITIES and offering direct engagement activities, particularly for children.

The team created an outdoor living room where participants could sit on bean bags while reimagining Rue D’Argens, Gżira’s pilot site. Children and their parents were invited to engage hands-on with StreetMix, an interactive tool that allows users to design and remix street components, transforming this busy street into a greener, more beautiful space that better serves the community.

The activity was adapted for younger children, using photo collages and cut-out components to let them decorate the street creatively.

On Saturday, children also had the chance to try out the GoNature Game, which allowed them to explore nature-based solutions implemented by the VARCITIES team in Gżira, while embarking on a mission to combat pollution.

This event provided an excellent platform to engage with citizens, promote VARCITIES, and keep on instilling the value of nature-based solutions in Malta!

Discover more about Gżira’s Pilot on their Pilot page.