11 | Westfield Milano: the coming of a luxury shopping mall

CONTROVERSY STUDIO: WESTFIELD MILANO: Luxury Shopping Mall and the Death of the Traditional City GROUP 11-Hala Abuelgassim, Claudia Arriaga, Letizia Cavalli, Sharon De Andrade

CONTEMPORARY CITY: DESCRIPTIONS AND PROJECTS [ URBAN PLANNING AND POLICY DESIGN ] Prof.Laurent Gilles Jacques Devisme, Assist. Alice Buoli, Assist. Mario Paris, Assist. Matteo Del Fabbro

INDEX -About the Westfield project

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-Dimension comparison

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-Location: why here ?

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-Timeline

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-Actors network mapping

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-Media Mapping

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-What makes it a controversy ?

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-Conclusions

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-Next steps? Future investigations

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-References

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ABOUT WESTFIELD PROJECT Westfield Milano is set to be Europe's largest shopping center, serving as a destination for exclusive retail, dining and leisure, set to open in 2021. Located on the fringe of the Milan Metropolitan Area in Segrate, only 10 minutes from Linate International Airport and 25 minutes from the city center, this shopping center will feature 300 stores, 50 restaurants, a 16-screen cinema offering luxury dining service, and other touristic services.

Several Italian and international brands have already secured retail spaces, including Galeries Lafayette, France's largest luxury department store which will open its first store in Italy and will serve as an anchor for Westfield Milano. Other flagship retailers will include Coin, OVS, Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius and Pull & Bear.

Measuring at 185,000 square meters, the Westfield Milano will be double the size of Il Centro - Arese, which currently holds the title as the largest shopping destination in Italy. Despite it being larger and holding 100 additional stores than Il Centro, however, it will have the same amount of parking spaces. This is due to its high level of accessibility by public transport.

Westfield Milano will contain a total of 130,000 square meters of retail, of which 15,000 square meters will be dedicated to food and beverage, whereas 115,000 square meters will be for non-food services. The food and beverage outlets will be distributed within four food courts. Construction has begun on the site and is expected to be completed by the second term of 2021.

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Westfield Milano will join the Westfield brand, managed by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Group, a premier global developer and operator of major, world famous shopping destinations. Westfield Milano is the brand's first major project in mainland Europe. Westfield estimates that the project is capable of generating sales exceeding 1 billion euros per year, which is comparable to its other shopping centers in London and Stratford City. It will act as a catalyst for the local and regional economy, spurring development on the east side of Milan and increasing the quantity of jobs within the community. The development will create about 44,000 total construction and retail jobs.

GREEN + GRAY INFRASTRUCTURE In terms of accessibility, the project is placing a strong emphasis on sustainable mobility. As part of the project agreement with the local government, Westfield will provide several infrastructure improvements for the area, including the enhancement and addition of connected green spaces, new roads and a network of cycleways connecting to surrounding towns. Approximately 200 million euros have been dedicated to improvements. The cycle network will connect to key areas of interest such as Idoscalo, Forlanini Park, railway station and the surrounding residential complexes of Segrate through several interventions, such as the installation of cycle bridges over the railway and expressways. A feasibility study is currently underway for a proposal to extend the M4 metropolitan line from Linate International Airport towards Westfield Milano and further into neighboring Pioltello.

As for green infrastructure improvements, the project will include 67,793 square meters of connected green areas on its perimeter, as well as a 44,937-square-meter Entrance Garden on its northern side. It will be composed of a system of The Entrance Garden will be composed of a system of lawns, trees and meandering walking paths similar in character to other Milanese parks.

PROJECT STATUS Construction has begun on the site and is expected to be completed by the second term of 2021 THE CONTROVERSY It is due to the large scale of the development in the suburbs that it can be perceived as a controversial project - though not explicitly, but beneath the surface lie some elements that bring up some concern. It can be compared to the French Europacity project, a new leisure megapark to be built in Paris' suburbs.

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DIMENSIONS COMPARISON IL CENTRO

93 000 sqm

10 000 Parking spaces

25 Restaurants

200 Stores

WESTFIELD

185 000 sqm

50 Restaurants

10 000 Parking spaces

300 Stores

50 Luxury Stores

Westfield Milano will join the Westfield brand, managed by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Group, a premier global developer and operator of major shopping destinations. Westfield Milano is the brand's first project in mainland Europe.

Westfield estimates that the project is capable of generating sales exceeding 1 billion euros per year, which is comparable to its other shopping centers in London and Stratford City. It will act as a catalyst for the local and regional economy, spurring development on the east side of Milan and increasing the quantity of jobs within the community. The development will create about 44,000 total construction and retail jobs.

As part of the project agreement with the local government, Westfield will provide several infrastructure improvements for the area, including the enhancement and addition of open public spaces, new roads and cycleways.

WESTFIELD

IL CENTRO

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LOCATION:WHY HERE?

Westfield Milano is located in the eastern outskirts of Milan, in Segrate, on a site formerly occupied by an old customs receiving center, in an area that is bordered by the Milan-Venice railway line, Linate International Airport, industrial areas of Segrate and new residential complexes such as Segrate Village and Segrate Centro. It is strategically located in an area easily accessible by the rest of the region and beyond -and will serve as an eastern gateway into Milan.

Why Milan?

Milan's strategic location in one of Europe's largest retail markets within the richest region in Italy and with a quantity of 6.3 million people in the project catchment area has made it a desirable area to invest in. It accounts for 22% of the country's GDP as a whole and has proven to stand resilient to the economic hardships that have long faced the country. Home to the headquarters of several prestigious international fashion brands, and one of the fashion capitals of the world, its retail market is in-line with Westfield's vision

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TIMELINE February 2009 SUBSCRIPTION OF THE ACCORDO DI PROGRAMMA

Lombardy Region, Province of Milan, Comune di Segrate and IBP subscribe the Acoordo di Programma for the realization of the big mall on the area of the Ex-Custom on the former customs receiving site.

December 2009 FIRST PROJECT

Lombardy Region, Province of Milan, Comune di Segrate and IBP subscribe the Acoordo di Programma for the realization of the big mall on the area of the Ex-Custom.

2010 NEW PROJECT

New solution of the project GREEN SPECIAL MOBILITY STREETS PARKING LOT COVERED SURFACE LAKE PEDESTRIAN SURFACE

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Approval of the new version of the Accordo di Programma, it's official works will start

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June 2011 APPROVAL The project is at the center of a great controversy due to abnormal economic reports and the Province approved it despite the area was already congested

September 2011 FIRST CONTROVERSY Another controversy is the presence of hazardous waste on the area where the mall will rise. In the inspection there were found: -Asphalt mill -Debris impregnated with fuel oils

2012 ANOTHER CONTROVERSY

2013 NOISE BARRIERS

A part of the area was given to Fintecna Immobiliare for the realization of a noise barrier.

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ACTORS NETWORK MAPPING Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Group is a world premier developer and operator of flagship shopping destinations.

It specializes in ownership, development, design, construction, funds and property management, leasing and marketing activities for its shopping centers. Its portfolio includes 40 shopping centers throughout Europe and the United States, comprising of about 7,500 retail outlets valuated in excess of $28.5 billion. It currently holds stakes in 32 shopping malls in the United States, three in the United Kingdom and the first in continental Europe under development in Milan.

WESTFIELD

We can find other Westfield in the world, through a comparation we can tell that there ase some common points such as the nearness with the railway station, but anyways high connectivity with the city. This is more visible in the UK's cases. The other westfields are in : -London -Stratford City -Croydon -New York -Los Angeles London Croydon Stratford City -San Diego

OWNERSHIP

The Westfield company, which has a 75% stake in the project (the remainder is held by Italian partner Gruppo Stilo), plans to invest up to 1.4bn in the project,

75% Unibail Rodamco Westfield

25% Stilo Immobiliare Finanzia-

ria which operates through Arcus Real Estate

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Westfield Group was an Australian shopping centre company that existed from 1960 to 2014, when it split into two independent companies: Scentre Group, which now owns and operates the Australian and New Zealand Westfield shopping centre portfolio; and Westfield Corporation, which continued to own and operate the American and European center portfolio.

Westfield undertook ownership, development, design, construction, funds/asset management, property management, leasing, and marketing activities for its centres. Its portfolio included investment interests in 40 shopping centres across the United States and Europe, encompassing around 7,500 retail outlets and total assets under management in excess of $28.5 billion. It also operated Westfield Labs, a technology and design arm based inside the Westfield San Francisco Centre. Westfield had interests in 32 shopping malls in the United States, three in the United Kingdom, and one project under development in Italy.

ADDITIONAL ACTORS PUBLIC TRANSIT AUTHORITY

(metro/train/bus/highway): Metropolitana Milanese, ATM Milano, TreNord

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Comune di Segrate, Comune di Milano, Lombardia, Citta Metropolitana, Comune di Pioltello

IBO International Business Park

Italian Government Foreign Investment Committee

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MEDIA MAPPING The media portrayed the project Westfield Milano as Lombardy's biggest event for the next 2 years. The attention of the public is all pointed to the scale of the project, regardless of its implications on the surrounding environment, local small businesses around and the neighborhoods nearby. That might be due to the advertising and the marketing campaigns that the investors and the project developers have been doing.

NEWS

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SOCIAL MEDIA

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WHAT MAKES IT A CONTROVERSY?

On a macro level, major concerns expressed by actors and stakeholders include traffic and accessibility, and environmental issues such as single-use territory consumption, air pollution and energy consumption. Due to the large scale of the project, it is certainly going to have both local and regional effects, but considering Westfield is a global brand working with international clients and brands, it will also have somewhat of a global impact.

The massive shopping center will attract millions of visitors to the area annually, placing a great strain on the local transportation system. Although there is a proposal to extend the M4 Metropolitan Line towards the project site, which would help minimize the traffic impact on the area, it does not address the high volume of visitors from outside of the metropolitan area that will likely visit, especially in the early months after opening.

The question also stands regarding effectiveness that the extension of the cycle network will have in attracting slow mobility alternatives. After a long day of shopping with bags of merchandise to carry back home, it would be interesting to see what percentage of shoppers will choose cycling as a mode of transportation.

As for the ecological impact that this project will have on its surroundings, air pollution is a concern that was expressed due to the concentration of motor vehicles used on a daily basis for both transportation and distribution, as well as the energy consumption of the mega structure. Due to the fact that this mega structure will hold a single-use "retail services" it does not serve as a sustainable model of development in the urban fringe.

A project of this dimension ideally should be comprised of a balanced mixed of residential, retail and communityserving services (i.e. medical, educational, institutional, etc.).

On a micro level, concerns lie in the effects that this mega shopping center will have on the local economy and how small businesses in the area will have to compete with multinational retailers right next-door. The effects could be irreversible, destroying the little social fabric that exists in the area, exploiting workers and closing down small businesses that are just barely hanging by a thread. Additionally, the everchanging shopping culture and decline of shopping malls in the Western world has brought up some concerns as well.

EUROPACITY Westfield Milan can be compared to the EuropaCity leisure megapark currently under development on 80 hectares of land in the suburbs of Paris. It will consist of eight buildings featuring hotels, restaurants, theaters, museum, cinema, children's cultural center, urban farm, swimming pool, ski slope and an ice-climbing area. This project has been hailed as unsustainable by environmentalists and locals, despite the economic benefits it has been said it would bring. The opposition to this project is a lot more prominent than to the Westfield Milan project. Several organizations and citizens have banded together, publicly opposing the project through petitions and public demonstrations.

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ADDITIONAL ACTORS "This commercial giant is destined to change the morphology of our territory and probably the habits of us secretaries. In 2009, the municipal administration in charge approved its definitive location in the area of the former customs after a long and heated political debate between the yes and the no fronts. I belonged to the latter, and the main reasons for my opposition are still valid today: the anomaly of a work of this size in an already highly urbanized area, the environmental impact of the induced traffic, the potentially devastating consequences on local trade."

- Mayor Paolo Micheli

"Do we really need this? What's the point of building another huge shopping centre, resulting in more concrete, territory consumption, waste of energy, pollution and traffic? All this to compel people to shop more, mainly for products they don't need. We don't need new shopping centres. We're submerged by products and garbage. What else do we have to buy? How much money do we have still to spend? How much more do we have to work to buy what commercials are constantly offering us?"

- Beppe Grillo, Five Star Movement guru

"Once, we used to rest on Sundays. We used to spend time with family and friends. Now we go to the shopping centre, dealing with traffic and crowds. The shopping centre is a non-place where you end up spending more money than needed due to the endless array of products on offer. As a result, we're compelled to work even more during the week to spend more money on Sundays."

- Paolo Ernani, Write.

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CONCLUSIONS As it is illustrated above, the new retails trends and the consumer behavior explained the reshaping of the urban space of the city. According to URBACT there are two key ideas we have to considered when planning an urban retails :

A. Citizens should be the central focus of attention when designing the urban space. Urban planning is a tool to help adapt the space in order to meet residents and users requirements, and ultimately make cities more liveable for them.

B. Our cities are in continuous change while the urban "fabric" remains -main urban ways, iconic buildings.

The uses of public and private space develop and change over time, thus, local decision makers and urban planners need to revalue and adapt it to present needs.

Besides the two considerations above, it is worth mentioning two preconceived notions usually taken for granted:

A. It is usually assumed that there is a correspondence between commercial models and city models.

However, very often the contemporary city does not usually respond to one neat single type. Professionals and policy makers need to accept that the model of our city is the real city, the one that we have. On-going measuring and analysing is required to understand our city.

B. A link between urban centrality and commercial activity seems to be set in stone. However this is only partially true and corresponds with some cities and towns with singular historic centres. However a vast majority of European cities have several centres where a diversity of retail models coexist.

It is important to note that although this project has not stirred up great controversy among the public as EuropaCity has, as visible on the surface at least, the long-term local and regional effects that it will have cannot be ignored. The local economy and natural lands of Segrate will be changed drastically, and perhaps this project will serve as a case study for future proposals of similar scales around the world.

NEXT STEPS: We found it very strange that all the reports, news and social media had just spoken about the bright sides of Westfield Milano project just very little was said about the negative effects that might be caused by constructing such a huge commercial center on that area specifically , we are planning to dig deeper by: - Interviewing different age groups of the community - Contacting bloggers or activists are interested in the area of the project.

- Interviewing small business owners in Segrate.

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REFERENCES -http://www.beppegrillo.it/meno-centri-commerciali-piu-centri-culturali/ -https://lamartesana.it/politica/beppe-grillo-contro-il-centro-commerciale-di-segrate/ -https://www.auraree.com/italy/retail-shopping-centers/westfield-milano-europes-biggest-shopping-centre-will-open-in-2021/ -http://www.paolomicheli.it/la-storia-di-uno-dei-centri-commerciali-piu-grandi-deuropa/ -http://www.milanotoday.it/video/westfield-milano-segrate.html -https://thesubmarine.it/2018/10/11/centro-commerciale-westfield-segrate/ -https://vimeo.com/243632161?ref=fb-share&1 -https://www.benoy.com/drawing-board/westfield-milano/ -https://www.gae-engineering.com/news/segrate-nasce-il-centro-commerciale-da-21-milioni-di-visitatori-e-il-piu-grande-deuropa/ -https://centroilcentro.it/en/il-centro/ -https://urbact.eu/sites/default/files/media/3_5_rethinking_the_city_space_to_host_new_retail.pdf -https://www.dw.com/en/french-europacity-project-entertainment-at-all-costs/ a-42567950 -"Accordo di Programma." Westfield Milan S.p.a. Comune di Segrate, 2010. -"Creating the World's Premier Developer & Operator of Flagship Shopping Destinations." Unibail Rodamco - Westfield, 2017.

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