Urban Vision

Connection with the existing Ecological Eystem- Parco Agricolo Sud

The South Milan Agricultural Park, entrusted to the management of the Metropolitan City of Milan, includes the agricultural and forest areas of 60 municipalities, for a total of 47,000 hectares.

Regional legislation classifies it as an agricultural and metropolitan belt park, thus highlighting its geographical position, close to a large metropolis, in a densely urbanized context. Due to its nature, the park presents all the typical characteristics of peri-urban spaces, playing a role of connection between the natural areas and the agricultural matrix within it.

Its proximity to the city of Milan also creates not only opportunity for these produces but this Biotope helps to sustain the city in the form of a green lung. This role of the Agricultural park is very important specially for a city as dense as Milan and with the recent years of increase in the pollution leading to the urban heat island effect this area becomes ever so more important.

Moreover, when we investigate the ecological system map, we realise that the green systems especially in the south of Milan lacks very dissipated and is almost always interrupted by the built environment. Therefore, having this isolated green lung in the south becomes useless if its not well connected as it is important to create these ecological corridors that guarantee ecological flow into the city and help improve the urban conditions of the city.

Green Railway Corridors

Ill. 9 Green corridoors inside and out of Milan

The main aim of this project is to supply this city with green ecological systems specially in the voids of the city. The void with the most potential which already connects the city in the form of a perimeter ring is the railway lines. In addition to these lines there are several abandoned railway yards which now houses some spontaneous vegetation. The transformation of these into ecological corridors would be a very efficient solution because the ring already exists it’s a matter of utilising this potential and promote the growth of a synanthropic environment.

The voids such as the one in Porta Romana can be used for ecological hubs in which biodiversity can flourish.

Ill. 10 Facing page. Green ecosystem and water bodies

Ill. 11 Diagram with vegetation used in the project

Promoting Endemic Species

Another important point to be taken into consideration is to promote the endemic species and the species existing in and around the Parco Agricolo Sud, because its not just a visual connection for the biodiversity to flow in naturally without having any ill effects on the existing ecological system it becomes to integrate the system at its roots to negate any negative impacts in the future.

Urban Vision Therefore, if all the above strategies are implemented, we can foresee certain changes in the future –

Environmental preservation and Improvements Better quality of life in the city Higher social interactions Improved infrastructure facilities like transportation Improved services like better storm water drainage systems And lastly and more importantly Economic benefits.

Ill. 12 Facing page. Urban vision diagram