WALK ON THE LINE From the peripheral idea of a cemetery and a train station to a new gentrified metropolitan centrality in Milano
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ....................................... 1 THE PATH ................................................. 2 QUESTIONS .............................................. 3 Research question ..........................................................3 Survey questions .............................................................3
COMMENTED WALKS ............................. 4 CONCLUSION ......................................... 24
INTRODUCTION The Monumentale cemetery is a landmark of Milan, characterized for the presence of many tourists and visitors for its unique graves, shrines and mausoleums. A monumental place that defines its environment functions and relations with the very big structure by the solemnity related with its rituals and symbols. Bosco Verticale has also become one of the main landmarks of the city by its architectural value and the creation of new spaces for the city. Both spaces are closely located, what makes possible the studio of the connection, the similarities and differences between the public use of this spaces. The changing relation of the area with the city and also the construction of its imaginary is an interesting element to explain the temporality and variability of concepts such as isolation, periphery and centrality in the urban phenomenon. The objective of this commented walk is characterize the different nature and elements that are related within the Monumentale cemetery and Bosco Verticale, passing by Biblioteca degli Alberi, Garibaldi Metro and train station, between the construction of a “new international city� and the value of the historic cemetery that has been recently connected with the metro system through the purple line. In the following section of the document, the path is described deeply. This territory is attractive because of the way it has changed its role in the city, showing the successes achieved through urban interventions such as Garibaldi or the metro line 5 and also the intermediate stages on redevelopment processes as elements to deal. The tool used is the methodology of commented city-walks developed by Jean-Paul Thibaud. The city-walks are related with the exercise of caught the perception of different individuals on multiple variables. In order to understand the space from the diverse kind of eyes and the ambivalent nature of the places selected over the path, the population target is equally diverse. This diversity is defined by nationality origin, interests, like tourism and frequent visitors and age. Those elements allow the construction of general profiles. For each of those profiles are defined specific approach conditions, like the time and the day for the walk, and if they were an aware part of the investigation. Developing the methodology, for the people that was aware about the experiment, some survey questions were defined in order to catch those perceptions about specific topics and are related showing up next. Also, for some of them, the construction of a map is a tool developed to show some perceptive insights as well as the use of other graphic resources. The idea is to relate those qualitative perceptions of the area with the different milestones of its recent and historic development.
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THE PATH
The path connects the Monumentale Cemetery and Bosco Verticale buildings, two important landmarks of the city of Milan, passing by a residential space over Via Quadrio, the multinodal connection gate at Garibaldi, a shop mall that resulted from a regeneration project and one of the recent icons of the city in the Park Biblioteca degli alberi. Its extension is 1.2 kilometers that can be walked in 20 minutes approximately. The path allows the walker to connect two areas completely different located closely. It can be seen in the timing of each of those buildings’ transformation: -
The cemetery was built during the XIX century (1866), the residential area during the first half of the XX century over Via Maurizio Quadrio, Garibaldi train station on the second half (1961) and the Piazza Gae Aulenti (2012), the park Biblioteca degli alberi (2018) and Bosco Verticale (2014) in the last 10 years.
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QUESTIONS Research question How is the space in between a landmark death-related and the construction of a recent iconic space of the city?
Survey questions A. General perception a. How did you feel all over the walk? b. How would you define the path in few words? c. Do you think those places are well connected? Should they be? B. Security a. Do you think is a safe space? Why? C. Specific notes a. What was the most remarkable element of this experience? b. What gets your attention? Why?
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COMMENTED WALKS FIRST WALK - JOSE About the walker Jose is a 26 years old Colombian student that has been living in Milan since the last year. He’s taking the course of Contemporary cities. His background formation is on Political science and urban management and development. He has experience on public administration. About the walk The walk take place on a sunny saturday afternoon on may 4 of 2019. He was aware about the purpose of the activity. Started at 2:18 p.m. and was finished at 2:43 p.m. Comments I would like to share my story talking about 4 spaces. The first one is the Park between the mall and Bosco Verticale. The second is the Mall and its relationship with Garibaldi train station. The third is between Garibaldi train station and via Ceresio going through the via Maurizio Quadrio. The fourth and final part of my walk is between via Quadrio and the park of the Monumentale Cemetery going by via Ceresio. The walk started from Bosco Verticale during a hot afternoon. That place is very green and attractive in this time of the year, and also is getting full of tourists. I think that is mostly related with its architectural recognition abroad. I started to walk to the attractive glass buildings and the mall. During this time I get a very good impression from the park and the Biblioteca degli Alberi, but it still feel like an unfinished project. When I was close to the dog-park, that is a particular element, one taxi was passing over a street that seemed almost pedestrian and makes me realize that the presence of the car became almost disruptive and a transgressive element in this area. In the mall I felt in a very pleasant public space. There was a food fair and a lot of people taking some sun and playing through the water. Even there were kids playing football and a girl almost sleeping. After this very artificial area and some electric stairs, I get into a very different space, marked by a very strong structure like the old-fashioned train station of Garibaldi and its nonrelation with the public space. Maybe now the area is changing with urban renewal projects and is producing some gentrification. I found a homeless man taking care of his dog and it felt like a hard contradiction if anyone thinks about the people enjoying a food festival just a couple blocks away. My idea is that the station structures, the bridge and the new interventions, creates that break space with a very marked difference in between. On the third space the sensations changed a lot. Now I wasn’t any more on an artificial and contemporary space made for the pedestrians, but on a more traditional area of Milan. I found 4
sadly but funny the presence of a nursing home, that also gave an explanation about the number of elder people, and the advertisements for mortuary services. The change on the landscape was complemented with a couple of catholic churches and some enterprises and people that looked as the office cast chatting on the street. Also, take my attention that an hospital was close, just in the middle between the nursery home, the churches and the cemetery, like this whole neighborhood works like a Cluster for the almost-death. During the final part of the walk I felt tired for the sun and I move a little bit faster, also because there was nothing much more to see except for the very big and sublime buildings at the entrance of the cemetery. Over via Ceresio the number of bikes was bigger than in other parts of the city. When I get into the square of the cemetery was interesting to observe the big amount of people making a line for the guided tour in the cemetery door, but also many other people using the space for passive recreation. About the questions, in general, I felt safe on this area of the city. The walk in few words would by something like “among the living, the dying and the death�, also showing the plural characteristic of the path. The points connected are the most remarkable places for touristic activities, and the places in between allows the reflection about how the city is changing. Map
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SECOND WALK - ALEJANDRA About the walker Alejandra is a 27 years old Colombian student that has been living in Milan since the last year. She’s a Designer student on the Bovisa Campus of the Politecnico di Milano. Her background formation is on Industrial Design and visual arts. About the walk The walk take place on a Saturday afternoon on May 4 of 2019. She was not aware about the purpose of the activity until the end of the exercise. Started at 6:22 p.m. and was finished at 6:40 p.m. Comments I will share my history starting from five different places. The first is Bosco Verticale and Biblioteca degli alberi. The second space is the capsule/bubble created by the buildings and the mall on piazza over Garibaldi. The third one is the triangle formed between the bubble square, the train station and the buildings of the city. The fourth space is the residential line. The fifth and last place the square in front of Monumentale. From Bosco Verticale and the park I get a pleasant sensation but is weird because, as everything in this place seems new and unused, seems like the people hasn’t embraced the space completely yet. It looks like a render. Nice and perfect but alien. The second space, that is the square, felt like a capsule whose walls doesn’t let you see through the city. The experience was also nice and comfortable, but the contact with the nature seems to be lost. I remember a lot of different groups of people sharing food and drinks. In the third space, that is the chaotic triangle, I felt that it was marked by the tramway, the wires and the streets. In this place, the experience became unpleasant. The place was cold, rusty and abandoned as if no-one never thought about how those areas could combine together. I remember a lot of wires, that makes me feel a sensation of disorder and chaos. The fourth space, that is the residential area, is a calmed space, much more intimate than the others with different spaces to explore. For example, the stores and restaurants, but also the buildings seems alive and full of stories. There was less people than in the first two spaces and streets were much narrow. I felt safe in this area and comfortable. The final space was shocking as it was big and wide. The place was full of tourists but the space was much bigger than the people making them seem very small and the space empty.
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During the walk I felt comfortable and calm. In few words, I would said that the walk is full of contrasts. Those spaces are not well connected, and, in my opinion, they should be because the sensation of such strong changes makes the people feel lost. I felt safe in the space because I was not alone, and the space conditions were good enough. The Biblioteca degli alberi was the most remarkable feature for me because it was something different for me. Also, the flowers and the green took my attention on the beginning of the walk. Photos
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THIRD WALK - CHIARA About the walker We don’t know too much about Chiara because she was defined as an spontaneous participant of this activity. She’s a young middle age woman, probably over her thirties and, according to her moves, has a very clear idea about where is she going. About the walk The walk take place on a Saturday afternoon on May 4 of 2019. She was not aware about the purpose of the activity. Started at 2:30 p.m. and finished at 2:40 p.m. It was only partial, and the idea was to caught some of her movements over the path between Via Quadrio, Via Ceresio and Monumentale. Comments She was wearing a coat, jeans, and a backpack, walking with some rush and trying to avoid people over the sidewalk. This can mean that she was not feeling very comfortable on the street. She was also on permanent contact with her cellphone and mostly looking to the floor, not totally aware of her entourage because, probably, she is a resident and, for sure, is not her first time on this place. Photo
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FOURTH WALK – FARNAZ About the walker Farnaz is a 27 years old girl. She came to Milan from Iran 3 months ago. Her major is urban planning. Now she is studying in Politecnico di Milano. About the walk The walk takes place on a Tuesday afternoon on May 7th of 2019. It started at around 4.00pm and finished at 4:20 p.m. She knew a little about the purpose of this activity, but she didn’t know the exact path. The walk started from Bosco Verticale and ended at Monumentale cemetery. Comments “I would like to divide my walking experience into 3 parts. The first is from Bosco Verticale to Garibaldi FS, it includes the Biblioteca degli alberi and Piazza Gae Aulenti. The second part is from the Garibaldi FS to Monumentale, this is the linking street. The last one is the square in front of Monumentale cemetery. About the first part, because of Bosco Verticale and those tall buildings around Piazza Gae Aulenti, I felt Milan is a modern city. Here is really modern than many other parts in Milan. It surprised me. I think the people living here should be rich, so here must be a safe area. When it comes to remarkable elements, I think it must be the Bosco Verticale and Unicredit Tower. In the second part, the street which is linking Garibaldi FS and Monumentale give me a different feeling. I think this is a historical street, most buildings here are residential buildings. When I am walking through the street, I can imagine the people living here in many hundreds years ago. There is a small park between Via Massimo D’Azeglio and Cavalcavia Eugenio Bussa. Anthougt it is a green park with many plants, It is easily for me to ignore it. I think the reason is that the surrounding building density is too high. Actually, I don’t like this area around the small park, but I like the street Via Maurizio Quadrio. On this street, there are two places catch my attention. The first one is Via Maurizio Quadrio,13. This is a beautiful courtyard. Another one is an international store, a very small shop but I can find some food from my country in it. There is also a small church on this street. The last part is the Monumentale cemetery. I am so surprised with it, because this is my first time to be here. Here is a very large square in front of the cemetery and the building is extremely splendid. Overall, I like this walk. It makes me go through not only a modern city center but also some historical area. I like the quiet historical street, but to be honest, I prefer to live in a modern city.”
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Map and Photos
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FIFTH WALK – JIAQI About the walker Jiaqi is 25 years old. She comes from China and has been living in Milan for 8 months. Now she is studying urban planning in Politecnico di Milano. She is taking the course of Contemporary cities, and she is one of the walking experiment recorders. About the walk The walk takes place on a Tuesday afternoon on May 7th of 2019. It started at around 4.30pm and finished at 5:20pm. She knew about the purpose of this activity and the exact path. The walk started from Monumentale cemetery and ended at Bosco Verticale. Comments “I would like to divide my walking experience into five parts. The first one is the square of Monumentale cemetery. The second part is the street Via Maurizio Quadrio. The third part is the Garibaldi FS and its surrounding area. The fourth part is Piazza Gae Aulenti. And the last one is the Bosco Verticale and the Biblioteca degli alberi. About the first part, the square in front of Monumentale cemetery is very large, but what is interesting is that nobody using this square. Most people just pass by but don’t make a stop for taking rest or sunbathing. Maybe it is a weekday afternoon, many people are still at work. Maybe here is close to the cemetery. Maybe there is no trees or furniture on the square. I notice there is a small construct at the corner, a man is selling flowers. Actually, this square makes me feel spacious and solitary. The road in front of the square are being mended so it is not convenient to cross the road. I like the bicycle path and tram path in front of the square, because of the green trees along the road and the path are in the shade of trees. Via Maurizio Quadrio, the second part, is a quiet street. But I don’t think the historical atmosphere of this street is stronger than some other streets in Milan, because I know that many new and tall buildings are not far from here. I also can see the Unicredit Tower standing at another side of this street. There are not many people walking through here, some international stores on this street catch my eyes. A small park at the end of the street, some residents walk their dogs, but most people are passing by. I think this small park can be one of a remarkable element in this area. About the Garibaldi FS, I think the environment is not very good. There is a large junction and many cars have a high speed, so the sense of security is relatively low when I cross the roads. Obviously, the people here are more than the previous areas. I like the fourth part Piazza Gae Aulenti. Many modern buildings here. Some businessman pass by the square and many residents or tourists sit here for a rest. Many children run around the square. There are many shops, restaurants, malls here. 11
My favorite part of this walk is the last one, Biblioteca degli alberi. This park looks really nice, many people sit or play games on the lawn. The Bosco Verticale looks very harmonious with the environment, because of the plants. This area make me feel really relaxed. In general, would like to use the word “compound” to describe this walk experience. I pass through some different city scenes. My favorite thing in this walk is the green area. The tall buildings and parks can be the remarkable elements for me. I think here is a safety area, but the feeling of crossing junctions is not very good. Additionally, I don’t think the connection between historical street and modern buildings are good, because there is only a large junction between them. Map and Photos
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SIXTH WALK – A MAN About the walker We don’t know too much about this man, he was defined as a spontaneous participant. He looks like 35 years old. He has a very clear idea about where is she going. About the walk The walk took place on a Tuesday afternoon on May 7 of 2019. He was not aware about the purpose of the activity. The walk started at 4.10pm and finished at 4.30pm. He walked out from a building on Via Maurizio Quadrio, so he only walked through Via Maurizio Quadrio and stopped at Monumentale cemetery. Comments The man was wearing blue coat and white trousers, he walked quickly so it seemed like he had a very clear destination. I guessed he was walking to the M5 subway station. Although he walked fast, he looked like really relaxed. I think he was familiar with this route. At the junction of Via Maurizio Quadrio and Via Carlo Farini, he had a shortstop. I noticed that there was no traffic lights here. He didn’t go to some stores. Actually, there were not many stores on this road. Photo
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SEVENTH WALK - AYANO About the walker Ayano is a 23-year-old Japanese student currently enrolled in the Urban Planning and Policy Design Masters course at Politecnico di Milano. She is attending the course of Contemporary Cities and is one of the examiners of the walk. About the walk The walk took place on Tuesday afternoon on May 7th, 2019. She was aware of the purpose of the walk. The walk started at approximately 4:30 p.m. and ended at 5:20 p.m. Comments I define this walking path in 2 separate parts, a historical space and a modern space. While I was walking from the Monumentale to the crossing in the halfway point of Via Maurizio Quadrio I realized the old buildings and the history of the street. And from the crossing and onwards, I have noticed the more modern aspect of the space. It looked like a different space that was divided by the crossing. Now I will explain about my feeling being at the Monumentale, the historical space. It has a very big piazza in front of it, where there were very few people gathering. Usually, when there is a big open space, you can find many people spending time in that space, but this area seemed a little quiet.
The Piazza of Monumentale with few people. Next on to Via Maurizio Quadrio. This street is the street that has 2 different elements, a historical in the first half and a rather modern in the second half. When I stood at the crossroad, I realized the big modern building that took my attention instantly. It was like seeing a different world as a background of a historical street’s drawing. At the latter half, I observed a more modern environment of the city, new buildings original and interesting designs. It was very strange for me when I realized that the historical buildings and the modern buildings were in some way perfectly harmonized. 14
Via Quadrio For the last part of the path, from Garibaldi station to Bosco Verticale, I instantly understood the difference from Monumentale. This area was well developed, modernized and had a lot of people walking by. Piazza Gae Aulenti had taken my attention the moment I set foot in it. I was hard to realize how amazing this space was from the outside, but I think this space has totally changed the dynamics of this Garibaldi district. Once through the Piazza Gae Aulenti, I reached to the park just in front of Bosco Verticale. It was still working its way of maintaining the park, but it was definitely a well-planned park where people are able to hang out and relax.
Piazza Geo Aulenti from Garibaldi station All in all, this walk has made me experience the city’s history in a new way. It took me through time from the Monumentale to the street with old buildings and traditional shops, to a modern city where it has harmonized with the past and off to the new era of the city. 15
MAP
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EIGHTH WALK - KATE About the walker Kate is a 24-year-old Filipina, who is working in a company for designing. She was raised in Milan. She had no knowledge of the purpose of the experiment. About the walk The walk took place on Wednesday night May 8th, 2019. The walk started from 9:42 p.m. and ended at 9:59 p.m. I took her through the path without explaining the purpose of the experiment and after the walk, I asked her the survey questions in order to understand her perception on the space. Comments Her answer to the general perception was that the path was very dark and scary for a woman to be walking there at night. She does think that the 2 areas, Monumentale and the Garibaldi station, are well connected. For the security, as she mentioned in the general perception, she did not feel safe during the entire walk. She also mentioned while our walk, ‘Why are we taking this street? It’s dangerous’. As you can see from this comment, she feels highly insecure about her safety when walking this path at night, explaining this path as ‘a street where nobody is here’. Although she has mentioned that there was nobody in the streets in the path, she pointed out the fact that there were people at the Monumentale and Garibaldi – Bosco Verticale, which she felt safer. When I asked about the question about the most remarkable element of the street, she said that she has realized the different stores along Via Maurizio Quadrio, which she had not realized the existence when she once passed the street before. A homeless person that was lying on the side of the street under the piloti that connects the station and the small park had got her attention because he was the only homeless person she had found in that path and also the only person she had found in that street, which made her even more insecure and unsafe.
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MAP
RED Zone: Feeling insecure and unsafe GREEN Zone: Feeling safer from the presence of people
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NINTH WALK - ALENA About the walker Alena is a 23-year-old Filipina, who is working as a system engineer. She was raised in Milan. She had no knowledge of the purpose of the experiment. About the walk The walk took place on Wednesday night May 8th, 2019. The walk started from 9:42 p.m. and ended at 9:59 p.m. I took her through the path without explaining the purpose of the experiment and after the walk, I asked her the survey questions in order to understand her perception on the space. Comments Her general perception for the walk was that the path was dark (not only because it was night but) because of the few street lightings, especially from Via Maurizio Quadrio to just right before Garibaldi station. Her feeling of insecurity was high in the street of Via Maurizio Quadrio, where there was less street lightings. This has made her unsafe to be walking in the area. Although her feeling of insecurity was lower in the plaza of Monumentale and Garibaldi – Bosco Verticale area. The most remarkable element that she discovered from the path was a homeless person that was lying on the side of the street under the piloti that connects the station and the small park, which made a big impact on her memory and got her attention.
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TENTH WALK- GIDEON About the walker Gideon is a 25-Year-old Ghanaian student living in Milan since September 2019. He is studying Urban Planning and Policy design at Politecnico di Milano. He completed his bachelor’s in Development Planning in Ghana and is now here at PoliMi for his master’s in planning. He She had full knowledge of the purpose of the experiment. About the Walk The walk took place on a late evening of a Tuesday on May 7 of 2019. Started at 6:30 p.m. and finished at 11.20 PM. It was complete path and the idea was to notice the differences in walking strides along the entire path. Comments Because our walk was during the nighttime, He felt partially unsafe in parts like the corridor infront of the Garibaldi station, and parts of the neighborhood that weren’t well lit. This was however, he felt was in stark contrast with the Piazza and Isola where he said he met lot more people and absorbed a well -lit urbanity that was available at Gae aulenti. The path, in his opinion from the beginning was weighted towards the Monumentale from the stark contrast of the piazza. Between these two magnets, the space feels under-represented and unsafe. But as far as accessibility is concerned he felt the spaces were connected but when told that we are walking across 4 different timelines, I felt the last two rather strongly than in-between spaces of the residential area during the first half of the XX century, and Garibaldi train station on the second half (1961). It could be much more pronounced and representative of its era. The most remarkable element for him was the water splash pods on Piazza Gae Aulenti. He said he was tempted to play with water but because no one else was doing it, he refrained from playing in the water. Photos
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ELEVENTH WALK - PRATHEEKSHA About the walker Pratheeksha is a 27-Year-old Indian student living in Milan since September 2019. She is studying Chemical engineering at Politecnico di Milano. She is a frequent visitor of Piazza Gae Aulenti and Esselunga under the Piazza. She has no knowledge of the purpose of the experiment. About the walk The walk took place on a late evening of a Tuesday on May 7 of 2019. Started at 6:30 p.m. and finished at 11.20 PM. It was complete path and the idea was to record the physical frames that look more appealing from each point of interest. Comments The walk began after her day at university when we met at Garibaldi station and walked towards the piazza to do her usual shopping at Esselunga. She tells me that she usually finds a lot of workers who sit around the circular seating around the splash pad at the center of the piazza. She often wonders why that she never sees kids, or anyone play at the splash pad. “May be during summer”, She continues. We take the elevator to go down to the lower floor where we found some office workers sipping juice from the store on the right. We pass through a fairly occupied seating area and towards the Esselunga store that is buzzing with people and tills forming queues. A stark contrast to the piazza where we saw a maximum of 12 people. It looked like an anchor store that pulled people despite its seemingly low-profile in the area. We finish shopping and continue walking upwards towards the park in Isola. There she shows me the lines of park that are intentionally designed to look like a maze and yet people to cut across the park in a seemingly fun way. I ask her opinion on Bosco Verticale. She explains how the whole neighborhood is pleasing to the eye with all the green and red tiles underneath with a cluster of flowers all around. We sit by a dog park where avid dog-owners brought their dogs and played around with them. It looked more occupied than rest of the ‘people’s’ park where we saw a couple and a teenager lying on one of the park swings (that are circular discs with a diameter of 1.5m roughly) engrossed on his phone. We continue the walk when i inquire her if she has ever been to the Monumentale nearby. She takes a moment and replies, ‘it’s nearby? just I wouldn’t expect it”. I explain the historical rhythm the city possesses, a juxtaposition of old and the new. I urge her to walk along the path and take her across the piazza and through the piloti. Reluctantly, she agrees. That’s where the homeless people live, and it usually reeks of strong smell. So, I usually avoid the piloti and cut across underneath by the metro tunnels to get to the cafes and Fondazione Feltrinelli behind the piloti without having to go there” she explains. Do you feel unsafe or is it just the smell? I ponder. She says it's not that it is unsafe that no one approaches her but the darkness and the smell that gives her a sense of an alarm. We continue walking through the neighborhood where we point to some balconies personalized with flowers, lights and some murals that were alternating all along the pathway. “This seems like any other neighborhood in Milan” until we came across corporate offices (Like accenture) on one side and residences on the other with corner-cafe stores at junctions. “It must be because of the rising fancy-ness of the piazza and garibaldi that these areas are becoming mixed-use” she questions me by telling. 21
We finally reach the Monumentale where we came across a group of senior men wearing hats with a single prominent feather who smiled at us as we walked past them. ‘It so well-lit in the nights, what lights can do to buildings” she exclaims. “Look at all the open space outside the Monumentale, imagine having a space like this in India and or even compare one of our city cemeteries to this” She laughs. We finish the walk recognizing we are still very close to Chinatown and probably eat dinner before we head home. Photos
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TWELFTH WALK - THEIN About the walker Thein is a 27-Year-old Indian student living in Milan since September 2019. She is studying Urban Planning and Policy design at Politecnico di Milano. Her Background is in Architecture and Jewelry design and experience in working in Public infrastructure projects. About the walk The walk took place on a late evening of a Tuesday on May 7 of 2019. Started at 6:30 p.m. and finished at 11.20 PM. It was complete path and the idea was to summarize the activity in each part of the path. Comments Since the 4 Identified Spaces, the 'four elements' followed a particular succession in time or a reverse timeline depending where you started the walk from. The historic rhythm of this path was something that I was interested in before starting the walk. I was curious about the architecture, maintenance and quality of each of the four spaces within the urban realm. But in reality and because the path was very much within the city boundaries, the people of the area blended the 4 elements into a singular path that seemed ordinary of any neighborhood that when it comes to utility, the path that connected these 4 elements allowed its users to find their space, move along, buy whatever that needs to be bought and or provide points of contemplation like at the Monumentale. Between the Two walks that I carried out in the path: -
In the first one, I started from Isola and completed it in Monumentale. In the second one, I began walking from the middle of the neighborhood towards the Piazza and completed the walk at Bosco Verticale.
First walk In its entirety, the piazza allowed me to move around, people-watch, buy roses, buy new shoes, look at investment bankers who have just finished their day's work and convened outside Unicredit to talk about their day. They were meticulously clinging on-to their shoulder bags with intermittent laughter and boo's that slid the bag backwards or probably heavy to carry. It should be conversations about their day's work or about their co-workers, I imagined. I hadn't seen a kid around yet but I saw about 4- 5 men/ women carrying large yellow Esselunga bags. That's when I realised there was a big Esselunga anchor store underneath the Piazza which the escalators conveniently led me to. I was surprised by the environment underneath the Piazza. I found a lot more people comfortably seated, sipping coffee, hearing the light splash of water from the Fountain nearby, planning out events, huddled over a laptop etc. The weather may have made them come here. It was summer may-day that had mild mid-November feel to it. Further from the Piazza, walking towards the Garibaldi station and away from the Garibaldi station, the walk seemed a bit rushed, crossing the road, watching the traffic signal, getting to the piloti where one can see homeless people sleeping on the sides of the wall as we walk along the corridor. This was one other instance where you are just not reminded of the elements as from 23
different time periods or architectural styles but of the usability of space and aura of the surrounding. The Walk then towards the Monumentale gained more gravitas that we were waiting to turn right and consume the monument in whole. It was 10.30 in the night already. Other than the tram sounds and our boots we weren't seeing anyone or hearing noises. A little ahead, a restaurant owner was clearing up his chairs on the street curb before shutting down the restaurant. The neighbourhood also intermittently lit so it was all the more reason for us to run along this part of the path only to be introduced to this monumentally lit plaza and building along the end of the path. We ran in circles, laughed and rejoiced at the open area while looking at awe at the gates. The Second walk The second walk also happened during the nighttime to check the historical rhythm of the path. The inference between the two walks is that in the linear progression of the path, the two elements formed as recluses as opposed to the neighborhood that did not adequately bridge them. But while starting from the middle of the neighborhood, the eyes generally went to the building style, shops nearby without a necessitated finale to the path that led us to the Monumentale or the piazza. Photos
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THE PATH AND ITS PIECES Considering the different descriptions, the path can be divided on 5 areas that will be showed up next. Those areas are, first, the green neighborhood unit, configurated among the Bosco Verticale building and the Biblioteca degli alberi. The second area is the piazza Gae Aulenti with a commercial and recreative role. The third area is characterized as the transition space defined by Garibaldi multimodal station. The fourth area is the traditional residential neighborhood over the Via Maurizio Quadrio. Finally, the fifth area is defined among Viale Cenisio and The Monumentale Cemetery complex. Those areas were defined according with the perception of the different walkers and are characterized using the information provided through them.
Monumentale
Residential area - Quadrio
Garibaldi
Gae Aulenti
Bosco Verticale
BOSCO VERTICALE
Planning interpretation: -
The buildings of Bosco Verticale have become a landmark and one of the main references in the imaginary of the city when they think on Milan. The park Biblioteca degli Alberi is participating in the configuration of a new metropolitan space.
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The role of the projects is evident in the change of the territory, from an isolated neighborhood on the periphery of the central city to a trending space occupied mainly by big city market structures and functions. The opportunities on this space are related with its new functionality and is expressed on the prices to live close to the area. The Metro line, the transportation facilities, and the commercial offers makes are transforming the space in one of the axes of a new urban centrality marked by the welfare related with the park and their added values, like the library.
Feelings: -
Fun and recreational space full of people. The very green park and the clean air produce the idea to be disconnected of the city.
Key words: Green and sustainable, trees, recreation, landmark buildings, regeneration project. GAE AULENTI
Planning interpretation: -
Is perceived from its platform where commercial and office uses are reflected. Presents a sense of modernity and spaces thought as public. The commercial occupation and the public-furniture provided attract different types of people with what is provided for the coexistence of different identities. Its opportunities are related with the consolidation of attractive-paths that change the idea that is an isolated place from the central part of Milan.
Feelings described: -
The big amounts of people call the feeling of been in a commercial mall. It can be attractive but is not an space that people will appropriate as theirs.
Key words: Commercial, public uses, recreation, services, offices. 26
GARIBALDI
Planning interpretation: -
Is the break point between the area of the projects of recent redevelopment, like the Piazza Gae Aulenti and Bosco Verticale, and the older area of the former periphery of the city. It has a strong and divisor structure related with the transport facilities. The opportunity is to continue with the redevelopment processes in other nearby spaces, look for ways to extend the pedestrian and commercial networks, and to soften the impacts of large infrastructures in relation to the area, breaking the notion of edge.
Feelings described: -
The first sensation mentioned is discomfort. This is related to the fact that it is a stronger space in front of its immediate connections and occupied by cars and train structures. The loneliness of space is reflected in feelings of insecurity. There is a discomfort related to the lesser degree of care of public space in the area.
Key words: Structure, transport, lonely space, border. RESIDENTIAL AREA - MAURIZIO QUADRIO
Planning interpretation: -
The residential and commercial configuration of small-scale results in a space with planned uses in this sense (hospitals, schools, churches). The impact of neighboring developments on the construction and development of office facilities can be observed.
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The population is perceived mostly as an adult and the quality of the buildings already shows the years. The way in was the area was developed exposes the idiosyncrasy of the planning in Milan during the first part of the past century.
Feelings described: -
The feeling of insecurity increases at night, in a way where lighting is not modern, as other infrastructure are in a regular state. The solitary spaces generate the sensation of mobility and the walkers mention that they only perceived it as a space of transition.
Key words: Calm, old, residential, unattractive, elderly. MONUMENTALE
Planning interpretation: -
Monumentale is one of the brands of the city. Its development as a cemetery has resulted in museum qualities that attract tourists every day. The connection with metro line 5 is creating new synergies and relationships with the rest of the city, changing its perception as the edge of the historic city. The opportunity it has is aimed at the redevelopment of complementary uses to the cemetery that diversify the activities in the area.
Feelings described: -
The immensity and, worth the redundancy, monumentality of the cemetery complex create a sense of sublimity in the walkers. It is perceived as a suitable space for rest and that offers certain types of recreation during the day During the night it becomes a solitary space that is perceived as dangerous and disconnected from the city again.
Key words: Sublime, Immense, Calm space, Passive recreation, Landmark. 28
CONCLUSION The path has been configured in different moments with different scopes or interests. In the first moment, the area was part of the periphery of Milan and, as its backyard, the city defined uses according to this position like the cemetery construction, marginal housing occupation and the connection to the railway national system. The result was the perpetuation of this peripheral condition with big infrastructures that make the role of city belt in this area of the city. Nevertheless, the city keep growing and the development of urban use far beyond this belt was steered by social and labor housing initiatives that used to be disconnected from the city, like the case of Isola neighborhood. Today, this condition has drastically changed. The construction of the Metro purple line marks a point of no-return on the construction of the new area, changing the time and spatial perception. Even if the path or the area is located in a small piece of city, it shows the confluence of different cities. Most of the walkers experienced contrasts between those spaces, moving from the new developments and the construction of new icons and imaginaries surrounding the city identity, like Bosco Verticale or the Piazza Gae Aulenti to a space related with not much than the mobility in Garibaldi and reaching a traditional piece in Monumentale. Moreover, the sensation is that these places are disconnected; even if they are closely located, these elements are perceived separated and distant from each other. Nowadays, the challenge for the city and the big developers is to build a new central place between elements of the ancient periphery that has become a central space without too much awareness of this process. Nevertheless, the difference between city elements creates different temporalities and spatiality’s that has, as well, different perceptions. For example, Monumentale during the night becomes a place that can be perceived as dangerous and lonely, even if is just 5 minutes from Gae Aulenti and other night life places. This contrast is explained by the nature of those elements that is part of ancient ideas of the backyard city that has become the new opportunity for the central city. The area is not, anymore, the last border of the city. Currently, is a well-served place that offers multiple opportunities to attract population and became a gentrified area. The commented walks already evidence this phenomenon where the elite has become the resident of Isola that formerly was a workers’ neighborhood. How can we create new relations between this area taking advantage of this new spatial and temporal realities? Can we deal in some way with the gentrification process of this neighborhood? There are many opportunities regarding the new accessibility in the area but also are risks for their traditional residents that has found diverse callings to move out by a wealthy class.
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