Dietro questo muro c’è il Bosco la Goccia - Behind this wall there is the Bosco la Goccia
THE INFLUENCE OF PEOPLE CONTROVERSY STUDIO GROUP 10
Arkak Mahdi
Mahdavi Ayda Scalcinati Simone Wall Henrietta
CONTROVERSY STUDIO
PRESENTATION OF THE AREA
THE INFLUENCE OF THE PEOPOLE
Bovisa is an area located north-west of the city centre
area and is now owned by Politecnico di Milano, the Milan
of Milan. Bovisa is connected both to Milan and other
municipality and the municipal gas company A2A(Office for
neighboring cities through the railway network and the area
Metropolitan Architecture, 2019). The 490.000 sqm plot
is considered to be a suburb and suffers post industrialism
is is heavily polluted (Comune di Milano, 2018). The closed
decline like so many other suburbs. Milan’s current role
of area contains a lot of wildlife and around 2000 trees
as a city of fashion, design and business feel the need to
(Comitato la Goccia, 2015). If seen from a point of view
redevelop previous industrial areas that have turned into
of urban fabric this abandoned area creates a whole in the
misused spaces (Office for Metropolitan Architecture,
urban fabric in a high demand development location with
2007). One of these misused abandoned spaces is located in
good connections to the city centre (Office for Metropolitan
Bovisa in between railway lines in three directions(Figure 1),
Architecture, 2019). The location, condition and opportunity
creating the shape of a water drop, thereof the areas italian
of this area has started a long development process that will
name “Goccia� (drop). This former gasometre area in which
be described in this paper.
gas was produced until 1969 has slowly turned into a green
Figure 1. The site enclosed by the train tracks. (Office for Metropolitan Architecture, 2007)
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CONTROVERSY STUDIO
TIMELINE
1969
The gasometro activity stopped
2000
2012
Start of “Comitato la Goccia” (association)
Politecnico of Milano and municipality signing the concession of the Politecnico areas
2005
1987 - 1989
Project to expand the Politecnico campus in the areas of Broggi-izar and ex Origoni
2014
The municipality made a reclamation plan for the area but Comitato la Goccia made an appeal to the TAR
2013
Requests by the Comitato la Gocia to the municipality: • enter the area • reconsider the methods for polluting research • perform air analysis • know the real destination of use • carry out risk analysis
Figure 2. Time line scheme.
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1970
Start the idea to develop a second university pole for Politecnico
2015
2016
Appeal won in favor of the Comitato la Goccia
First possibility for Comitato la Goccia to entre in the gosometro’s area The reclamation project was approved for another area Starting the work for the reclamation of area A1
2017
New agreement between Politecnico and Municipality for the development of the area
THE INFLUENCE OF THE PEOPOLE
1969
Announcement of excavation and demonstration.
The gasometro activity stopped.
After the workshop “Let’s listen to Bovisa” Politecnico
1970
summarizes the contents of the workshop, the Committee
Start the idea to develop a second university pole for
reiterates three things: All the local associations have
Politecnico.
concluded that they want to keep the Goccia green, Bovisa
1987 - 1989
is full of empty spaces, open or closed, waiting to be used, a
Development the first phase of the campus of Politecnico
conference on reclamation entrusted to Mario Negri would be
Bovisa.
desirable.
2000
2016
Politecnico of Milano and municipality signing the concession
A consultation of ideas in the Milan’s “scali ferroviari”.
of the Politecnico areas.
2017
2005
Boeri made a proposal of “Fiumi Verdi”, this idea comprends
Project to expand the Politecnico campus in the areas of
all the “scali ferroviari” of Milano and passing by the Bovisa
Broggi-izar and ex Origoni.
area.
2012
The new Rector of the Politecnico of Milan, Ferruccio Resta,
Start of “Comitato la Goccia”. ( association)
made new agreement with the municipality, in particular,
2013
for the construction of student residences in the former La
“Comitato la Goccia proposal the “Parco Goccia”
Scala warehouses, in via Baldinucci. Polimi wants to offer new
The Politecnico and the Municipality organize several
services for students like various sports facilities, which could
workshop to which inhabitants had participated and made
be hosted in the Goccia and opened to the neighborhood. In
several requests to the city planning counselor like: enter the
his intentions there is the re-appropriation of the buildings
area, reconsider the methods for polluting research, perform
in Via Durando (former seat of the Faculty of Architecture).
air analysis, know the real destination of use and carry out
The future site of the Tsinghua Chinese University with which
risk analysis.
agreements have already been concluded is under discussion.
2014
In this year ther was several iscussions on the future of railway
The Municipality made the reclamation plan and Comitato la
stations.
Goccia appeal to the TAR.
2018
During this year the inhabitants made new request to enter in
The municipalty made a new building projects and the citizen
to the area.
made new mobilizations.
The Municipality decides the excavation of lot 1A. 2015 The Comitato la Goccia made appeal against the excavation of lot 1A. Politecnico continuing made workshop and after two and a half years that the Committee requests it, as part of the workshop organized by the Polytechnic, the citizens can enter in the Gasometers area, the one that for Comitato la Goccia should become the Parco la Goccia. 4
CONTROVERSY STUDIO
ACTORS AND INTERESTS
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THE INFLUENCE OF THE PEOPOLE
The territory of Bovisa is characterized by a multitude of private actors, each of them operates in different sectors (research, marketing, industrial production and direct sales). In this process we found differents actors with differnt goals. THE PRINCIPAL ACTORS
OTHER ACTORS INVOLVED
Owner of the ex-gasometro area
Wants to create a Scientific park considering the existence of Bovisa campus of Politecnico
Bovisa area is located in this zone
Want create an university pole for the research and innovation so as to extend its function
Owner of an area near the station
Opposing to the cementification of the park, as they want the
An influencer, as the railway is an important element in
park not to be for the university activities but for public only.
Bovisa area
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CONTROVERSY STUDIO
ACTION AND MASTERPLAN
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THE INFLUENCE OF THE PEOPOLE
The Office of Metropolitan Architecture produced a masterplan for the area in 2007 with the aim to create a science park. The planning process was done by the order of the Municipality of Milan About half of the area will be provided with residential buildings and a significant share of the area.
Figure 3. Proposed division of land use. (Office for Metropolitan Architecture, 2007)
Figure 4. Proposed masterplan. (Office for Metropolitan Architecture, 2007)
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CONTROVERSY STUDIO
Further impeding the site’s development, the ground is heavily contaminated – a lasting burden of the site’s industrial history. In order to become suitable for development, the site requires intensive remediation. Bovisa has languished undeveloped, disconnected from the thriving areas surrounding it, a void in the urban fabric of Milan.
Figure 5. Proposed masterplan with functions. (Office for Metropolitan Architecture, 2007)
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THE INFLUENCE OF THE PEOPOLE
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CONTROVERSY STUDIO
THE CONTROVERSY
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THE INFLUENCE OF THE PEOPOLE
The controversy in this project is related to the different
area (through comitato la Goccia) opposed to this idea and
interests pursued by different actors in the redevelopment
expressed their opposition through the release of a Manifesto
of Parco la Goccia. As explained earlier, Comune di Milano
and several protest in the area.This point can be clearly seen
and Politecnico were initially interested in the project of a
by taking a look at the graffities on the wall surrounding
science and technology park, while the inhabitants of the
parco la Goccia.
Figure 6. @parcogoccia Instagram page. (Instagram screenshot)
Figure 7. Imagine tooke during a protest manifestation “Save the trees of Goccia�. (Comitato la Goccia forum)
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CONTROVERSY STUDIO
HOW DOES THE CONTROVERSY AFFECT THE AREA?
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THE INFLUENCE OF THE PEOPOLE
On the case of Bovisa many newspaper articles have
Goccia also express dissatisfaction with the ongoing
been written, but they mainly concern two themes: the
projects. A controversy like this could also in the long run
reclamation of the area and the preservation of the plants
lead to mistrust against the municipality and the actors
within the site.
involved. If citizens are asked to join workshop without their
Both themes, however, come together at the same point:
participation being taken seriously this will also affect future
keeping the green present inside the “Goccia�. In fact, the
possibilities for the municipality to receive citizens help.
articles that deal with the reclamation of the area pose the
As a result of this controversy, the municipality of Milan has
question of whether it is possible to maintain the presence
developed a new strategy for the future development of the
of the green, given the high rate of pollutants present in the
area. This strategy provides new opportunities, including:
soil. Furthermore, other articles talk about the events carried
1. Break down the large scope of the Urban Transformation
out by the associations to protect the area and the 2500
Area (ATU 9) provided for by the current PGT;
tree.
2. Reduce the volumes provided by the current PGT; 3. Increase the surfaces of green areas inside of the area la
The controversy described above in which the use of the
Goccia;
green area cannot be decided has clearly involved the
4. Redevelop the scope of the Bovisa Station as an important
citizens of Bovisa. Mobilization in social media is mainly
gateway to the city;
organized by the association Comitato la Goccia themselves
5. Host a large urban function, of strategic character.
as seen in figure x. Graffiti on the fences around parco
Figure 8. Bovisa da oggi al 2030. (Municipality 2018)
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CONTROVERSY STUDIO
CONCLUSION
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THE INFLUENCE OF THE PEOPOLE
In this project, we can see how the controversies relate to
or not. Indeed, looking at Google maps, it looks like a vast
many aspects within the project and one of them is listening
green area, but once you go into details, you realize that
to citizens and stakeholders.
not all the green in this area is really usable green, but it is
In fact, Listening to citizens is not always an easy task,
more of an uncultivated, a green that developed thanks to
as we can see for the Bovisa case. This can add further
the abandonment of the area and can be used for leisure and
complications to the implementation process of the project.
recreational activities, a green that as Gilles Clément would
However, citizens will be the ones who will live in the areas
say is a “third landscape”.
and therefore the active listening process is essential for a
it is also true that within this uncultivated green area, plants
successful project.
have grown over the years which, in a future project for the
Another issue to be addressed is whether the area is a park
area, will be fundamental for the creation of a park.
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CONTROVERSY STUDIO
SOURCES Comitato la Goccia di Milano Bovisa, 2015, [Online] Available at: http://www.parcogoccia.com [Accessed 10 May 2019] Comune di Milano, 2018, Bovisa da oggi al 2030, [Online] Available at: http://www.comune.milano.it/wps/portal/ist/it/news/
primopiano/tutte_notizie/urbanistica_verde_agricoltura/futuro_bovisa_2030_politecnico [Accessed 11 May 2019] Office for Metropolitan Architecture, 2007, Bovisa masterplan, [Online] Available at: https://oma.eu/projects/bovisa-masterplan [Accessed 10 May 2019] Parco La Goccia, 2019, parcogoccia, Instagram, [Accessed 12 May 2019]
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