Caitlin O'Conner spent her internship working with the Valletta Rehabilitation Project, which is based in the World Heritage City of Valletta, Malta.  A grid-planned baroque city built largely during the period of the Knights of St. John in the 16th century, Valletta is extensively fortified by high bastion walls that surround it. Caitlin was involved in an ongoing documentation project of building facades that focused on documenting the condition, accretions, and historical importance of each building being surveyed.  The information from this survey (at present, seven streets have been completed) will eventually be incorporated into a geographic information system (GIS) of all streets in Valletta.

Caitlin also contributed to a redevelopment proposal for a Il Biccerija, a dilapidated area of the city that was once a slaughterhouse.  Situated in the Jews Sally Port neighborhood, this area is particularly problematic because of its low-lying location (the lowest elevation in Valletta) which is subject to extensive water run-off from the rest of the city.  Starting with a review of the redevelopment guidelines authored by Renzo Piano in 1989, she helped build a case for redevelopment by making site visits in order to discuss existing conditions and potential for the area which led to a concrete proposal containing two case studies of arts-based redevelopment that has been suggested for Il Biccerija.

"The US/ICOMOS experience has been invaluable.  Apart from the fieldwork that I was involved with, I also worked closely with another urban planning intern from France.  Our cultural exchange and shared perspectives on urban planning in heritage cities has given me a broader sense of possibilities and a more extensive urban planning acumen."

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