Rus in Urbe (Msc. Sustainable Architecture and Landscape Design, Polimi 2020-21)

RUS IN URBE

MSC SUSTAINBLE ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN URBAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN STUDIO 2021

THE TEAM

Alejandro Suarez Ar chitect Co lombia

Ishita A grawal ArchitectL

Constance A delin e Arch /Urbanist

Valeria Salcone ArchitectA

Prachi Rawat rchitect

In d i a

Fr an ce

I taly

In d i a

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ABSTRACT The situation around the world requires an important change in the way of acting. Regarding Urbanism and the Sustainable Development Goals set in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it is possible to guide projects, academy, knowledge, and life to a sustainable way of living and developing the cities. Particularly for this project, which considers the city of Milan as an international city, developed among some natural elements that define the landscape structure. The strong agricultural character, due to the water system coming from the mountains in the north, and the extended irrigation canals. Moreover, considering the radial growth of the city, that nowadays presents a clear green belt around with several characteristic ecological elements, it permits to propose the idea of “Rus in Urbe” from Latin means “bring the green into the city”. As a matter of fact, this concept is also highlighted as a Sustainable Development goal of the cities, creating cities resilient and connected and respectful with the environmental natural resources. Therefore, the idea is to propose a wedge that creates urban and ecological connections from the rural to the urban environment. Specifically for the GW6 case, it presents complete and interesting characteristics in terms of ecological network. As a matter of fact, it is crossed by the Naviglio Grande, an important water body that starting from the historic center, passes through the development of the city to the new settlements around, new urbanizations until cross all the agricultural lands, included in the important green system of Parco Agricolo Sud, arriving to connect some suburban villages surrounded by several natural areas. According to this background, it is necessary to develop a multidisciplinary analysis that allows to design a coherent proposal to connect all the fragmented landscape elements part of the ecological network, even and mainly with the water bodies, which are disappearing, but are important for the region and for the heritage value as a natural permanence element along the years. Eventually arriving to the strategy based on reconnection, enhancement and recovery of the entire ecological system which supports the city of Milan and villages around.

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INTRODUCTION The aim of the project is to develop a green and blue infrastructure strategy, able to enhance the energy and the flows of a given area of interest, from in and out of Milan. As urbanization reduce access to Nature, the idea is to make the city’s infrastructure and the green cohabit while improving the quality of life of citizens, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs (United Nations Brundtland Commission, 1987). The future planning of this area implies a transversal and multidisciplinary approach, which tends to consider the territory in all its complexity.

The selected axis is Parco Agricolo Sud – San Cristoforo – Naviglio Grande, which will be analyzed on a macro and then on a meso scale.

Derived from Latin, the title of the project ‘Rus in Urbe’ means bringing the countryside in the city, strait in the core of the city. It questions the urban balance and organization of cities to a more Eco-friendly approach. In order to achieve this, the project encompasses both territorial planning and green development. Sustainable urban planning targets multiple dimensions: technical, economic, ecological, social, and more broadly cultural. The future Green and Blue network will provide a range of benefits, called Ecosystem Services, provided by selected Nature-Based solutions. It is a question of thinking and making the axis differently, of creating another model of urban planning and sustainable nature development (NBS), but also of inventing other ways of life, well-being, of moving around, of consuming, etc.

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GW6

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CONTENT 9 THE TEAM 11 ABSTRACT 12 INTRODUCTION

POLICIES AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK

URBAN CHALLENGES | ES | NBS

18 PIANO PAESAGGISTICO REGIONALE 20 REGIONAL GREEN SYSTEM 23 PTRA - NAVIGLI LOMBARDI 24 LANDSCAPE 27 TERRITORY 28 TOURIST 30 PTCP 35 PGT MILANO 2030 39 THE PLACES 42 ACCORDO SCALI 44 MILAN 2020 46 CONCLUSION

96 SWOT 98 STRATEGY APPROACH 100 STRATEGY DIAGRAM 101 CHALLENGES 102 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 103 ECOSYSTEM SERVICES 104 NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS

SYSTEMIC ANALYSIS 52 GREEN SPACES 57 ECOSYSTEMS AND HABITATS 59 MAIN TREE SPECIES 60 CULTIVATED AND BUILT LAND 63 WOODLAND AND FRESHWATER 64 LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY STRUCTURE 67 WATER 73 TRANSPORT 77 BUILT UP 80 URBAN TYPOLOGIES 82 BUILT UP - LAND USE 84 SOCIO-CULTURAL 91 CONCLUSION

POLICIES AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK

PIANO PAESAGGISTICO REGIONALE The Landscape European Convention is based on the concept that all the territory is part of the landscape and each of them has its specific heritage and value. According to this, the Regional Plan of Lombardy aims at the protection and enhancement of the entire regional landscape, in order to protect the pre-existences and their context, improve the landscape and architectural quality of the intervention, and spread awareness of the landscape value and its use among citizens. The plan resumes its purpose in three main key words: CONSERVATION, INNOVATION and FRUITION. Therefore, the objective of the Plan is to bring more attention to the landscape and the quality of the places in a more incisive way, protecting the existing heritage and giving more value and quality to the new ones. The Regional Plan reiterates the principles of the Landscape Territorial Plan, affirming that all the territories are part of the landscape, each of them with different realities and vulnerability characteristics, and a landscape planning is necessary.

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CONSERVATION

INNOVATION

FRUITION

The main goal is the preservation of pre-existing structures, the related contexts and their protection against new interventions, following strategies such as READABILITY and IDENTITY. Identify the pre-existing buildings to be protected

The purpose is the construction of new landscapes, through the improvement of the landscape quality of land transformation interventions.

Increase the awareness of the historical and cultural heritage, the different landscapes and their use among citizens.

Monitor the application and effectiveness of the standards

Polarize growth towards redevelopment operations.

Report the administrations that have distinguished themselves for the qualified protection of the landscape

Take care of the accesses to the cities, the image along the main roads, provide suitable green equipment.

Agricultural recognition practices.

Provide methodological indications useful for placing projects in the landscape with awareness.

landscape: economic of landscape-correct

Overcoming the model of peripheral “expansion zones” for each municipality. urban

Conferences, publications, exhibitions, debates, courses on the landscape and its protection.

Encourage participation in urban planning choices and promote the shared identification of local landscape values.

Strengthen and protect the network of landscape use paths.

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REGIONAL GREEN SYSTEM PPR

According to the three main purpose of the PPR document it is possible to notice a strategy which aim is the identification of the green infrastructure system with both its heritage and the low quality areas, in order to understand where the three concept can be applied and how.

The axis divide Parco Agricolo Sud in two main agricultural landscape, highlighting also in the extreme left a fundamental and protected area along the river Trebbia. Moreover, some degraded industrial areas are visible mainly close to the city centers, where those activities are more developed.

It’s important to highlight the data related to the degradation causes. As a matter of fact, the axis shows four main causes: • Industrialization

and

implementation

of

infrastructure process • Transformation of the agricultural production and zootechnics • Abandonment and disposal • Environmental criticalities

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PTRA - NAVIGLI LOMBARDI Piano Territoriale Regional d'area The aims of the Piano territoriale Regionale d'Area for the Navigli focuses on developing and preserving it as part of the identity of Lombardy. In order to achieve this, three mains objectives have been selected.

The first one is to protect and develop the peculiar characteristics of the landscape of the Navigli by re-boosting the identity and attractiveness of the territory.

The second objective aims to protect and develop the area by reorganizing the settlement system and limiting the consumption of the ground.

Finally, the last objective is to encourage the economy of the area with sustainable tourism by improving the infrastructure and the cultural heritage as well as reprogramming a development of sustainable tourism.

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LANDSCAPE Characterization - PTRA

The first priority thematic area of Lombardy Navigli is the Landscape. There are two mains objectives and actions concerning it.

Starting with the first one, it aims to recognize and develop the characteristics making the identity of individual Navigli. In order to accomplish this, the aims is to promote widespread knowledge the landscape of the area and to redevelop the banks, water system and the existing building heritage.

The second action is to enhance the attention to the landscape as an opportunity for the attractiveness of the territory. The landscape is promoted as an opportunity for tourist entrepreneurship while rural settlement and farming are preserved and redeveloped. Plus, the last objective is to verify the landscape impact of the new infrastructures.

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LEGEND

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TERRITORY Characterization - PTRA

Concerning the second priority thematic area, it is the Territory of Lombardy Navigli.

Similar from the landscape, it has two mains objectives.

On one hand, there is the consumption of the land. The actions aims to develop a strategy of territorial protection for the landscape redevelopment of the Navigli and to improve the rural and landscape environmental system.

On the second hand, it is about reorganizing the settlement system. In order to achieve this, there are four mains ideas: to make a cycling path in order to develop soft mobility, to recover abandoned areas and degraded territories, to construct a sustainable corridor and finally, to develop projects of territorial development of the Navigli system.

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TOURIST Characterization - PTRA

Then, finally, the last priority thematic area of the Piano territoriale Regionale d'Area is Tourism.

When it comes to tourist development, there are divided into five main tourism products.

The two first one are the sport tourism along the Navigli and in the surroundings park areas as well as the cultural tourism linked to the main cities of art, historical villas and homes, places of spirituality and industrial archaeology.

Then, there are also the wild life, agricultural environmental and educational tourism in the protected areas.

The fourth one can be defined as a thematic and educational tourism based on the element of water: from the history of irrigation and navigation to the places of Leonardo da Vinci.

The final one is about conference and business tourism.

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PTCP Piano territoriale di coordinamento Provinciale

The plan proposes a connection between the main green, urban, and landscape structures in the Province of Milan, based on a strong analysis of the types of the natural landscape, green actual systems, and city urban elements that makes part of the urban landscape. The plan also considers all the blue infrastructures to create a complete system based mainly on ecosystems and landscape topics.

About the urban development, it proposes a concept of a polycentric city searching for decentralized the strong urban city character of Milan. But controlling the growth of these secondary settlements or cities using policies of regulation for the urban development prioritizing nature, the landscape, and the main natural infrastructures.

The plans show the importance of the River Ticino and the Naviglio as main elements of the blue infrastructure, and the Parco Agricolo as one of the main green infrastructures on the Provincial scale.

For the GW6 was been recognized the main green and blue infrastructures that make a part, or have the stronger connection in the GW6, and considering the proposal design in the plan that give us some guidelines to consider the main important goals to achieve in terms of green and blue infrastructure connections.

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GW6

Typological units of landscape PTCP

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The medium irrigated plain and the springs La media pianura irrigua e dei fontanili

“The elements that characterize this “typological landscape unit” are the numerous heads and stems of fountains that form a dense hydro graphic network“.

Many o these water elements are disappearing due to the decrease of water aquifers and changes in agricultural activity.

Apart from these, the network is composed also of network systems of canals derived from the Naviglio Grande and Martesana canal mainly.

“Until a few decades ago, the medium irrigated plain of the fountains represented the historic landscape of the water mead, which has now almost completely disappeared.”

The low irrigated plain La bassa pianura irrigua

“The western portion represents an area with a ricegrowing vocation”.

The rice cultivation becomes the landscape in a one with a lack of trees and in terms of biodiversity and nature not rich as well.

“In the eastern portion of the lower plain, the hydro graphic network is enriched by colter that collect the water from the areas underlying the Martesana and the springs.”

In this area, the landscape is well preserved near to the city, but going to the east, the landscape starts to lose all the main elements and decrease, except for the irrigation network at the Municipality of Paullo.

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PGT MILANO 2030 Piano Governo Territoriale Milano 2030

“Milano 2030 is a metropolis that makes space for the environment, a city of nodes, which produces knowledge, innovation and inclusion, a city of human measure, a city of new generation” The PGT of Milano 2030 highlights three points to innovate the vision of the city: Environment and climate change; suburbs and neighborhoods; and right to housing. It focuses on the need for more ecological corridors and network systems, better connection of peri-urban areas to the central part of city, and making the urban life in neighborhoods better. In the map, extensions to the existing Parco Agricolo Sud is proposed, along with other areas for agricultural land.

New areas marked for urban renewal and specific areas for environmental regeneration. It also introduces the circle line through the edge of the city, and new interchange nodes too.

In reference to the axis GW6, a lot of interchange nodes and piazzas are close to the axis with the circle line passing beside the Naviglio. This gives us ample opportunity for planning of a better transport network, but also keeping in mind the ecological network and how to connect the peri-urban green areas and bringing it to the heart of the city through this transition area. However, most of the urban renewal and upliftment is proposed on the southern side of Navglio, totally disregarding the north part, which might lead to a fragmentation of the areas.

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THE PLACES PGT Milano 2030

Milano PGT 2030 proposes a new dimension for innovation, better neighborhoods and a network of green spaces. It plans on doing this with several measures: • 13 nodes of interchange, large public transport infrastructures for connectivity of the peri-urban areas; • 6 areas of special interest in urban voids, for public or general interest, and their functions of strategic nature; • 7 Piazzas from present traffic junctions which require transformations, creating spaces with better surroundings, connectivity and green areas; and • 88 districts to uplift the neighborhoods and ecological corridor in the metropolitan area.

With the help of these new proposals, new environmental strategies can be created at different levels to regenerate the areas in and around the axis GW6. With the presence of 2 districts, a special area, a piazza and in close vicinity of 2 nodes of interchanges, along with the canal Naviglio Grande makes this area of utmost importance.

An ecological system can be created in the surroundings along with the upliftment of the neighborhood to make it more green, and the connectivity to the center of the city better

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1.7 million sq.m of land to leave unbuilt for the reduction of land consumption in the city

3.5 million sq.m of protected agricultural areas, of which 1.5 million sq.m in expansion of Parco Agricolo Sud

Proposal of 20 new parks linked to urban plans, along with a large metropolitan park connecting new ones to existing ones

Carbon neutrality for all new buildings, encouraging creation of green roofs and walls

Climate Impact Reduction Index to calculate the green integration in urban planning and building interventions

Aim to plant 3 million trees in the metropolitan city, after identifying an ecological network, planting and reforestation

Reduction of maximum building index for less areas accessible to public transport

40% share of social housing in new interventions, maximization of rental housing, 9 areas identified for social housing

Time available to proceed with recovery or demolition of abandoned buildings is 18 months.

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ACCORDO SCALI Railway agreement

The idea is to connect 7 former railway yards (Scali Ferroviari being the last large urban voids hinged between the center and suburbs ) to mend certain parts of the city, promote sustainable mobility, rebuild green infrastructure along the circle line. Also one of the important goals of the strategy is the revitalization of the suburbs, connecting the central metropolitan area with its district periphery.

The former railway yards occupy a free area of ​​approximately 1 million square meters, 65% of which will be destined for green areas. Connect the former railway yards and redevelop them into public spaces by weaving neighborhoods and ensuring their relationships. The idea is to use railway not as an element of segregation but as an historical opportunity to define new relationship between city and rail.

Lack of existing green network - the attempt is to resolve fragmentation, link rural to peri-urban to urban and make a continuous ecological corridor for ecosystem services. The strategy is to connect new paths to network of existing and proposed territorial environmental systems including through the railway belt.

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MILAN 2020 Adaptation Strategy

The Milano 2020 Adaptation Strategy offers a new vision for the city of Milan and its citizens with an adaptation to the virus and/or future potential crisis. In fact, this global crisis calls for changes in urban planning and questioning ourselves ‘what kind of society and community do we want to build after the crisis?’.

In order to answer this question, it is necessary to adapt to a ‘new normal’. References scenarios, specific conditions and people have been targeted. The aim is to invest and protect the citizens, and to reboots the economy. It can be summarize as the following : reorganizing the city’s schedule and the use of roads and public spaces, rediscovering the neighborhood dimensions with everything within 15 minutes, focusing on vulnerable communities as well as preserving employment level.

In fact, since the beginning of the crisis in January 2020, our vision to urbanism changed and a new approach to design is therefore needed. This adaptation document is then very important and must be studied for any future projects as it is a guide to more sustainable design.

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CONCLUSION

Provincial scale - Policies and legal framework

The main points for the Policies documents are the connection between different kinds of elements from urban to natural characteristics, some of the documents and plans pay more attention to the urban area and other ins a larger scale to the rural context in Milan’s province.

The research made in the policies shows some elements that are disconnected and the potentiality to connect and create important relations in the city and in the rural context, to produce good changes but mainly focused on the environmental and sustainable development.

As the main goal is easy to recognize the Naviglio as an element that gives structure to the GW6 since is along the main part of the area and together with the highway means a connector in one sense but also a division in the other sense. At the end is an important corridor that is considered always as a potentiality to start from this to reconnect some areas and create new dynamics in the city and in the countryside.

In terms of natural and rural context, is really important to recognize how the wedge GW6 is in a really crucial area where two main ecologic structures are divided and mainly the plans in the policies try to create proposal and structures considering those areas to be reconnected in a strong ecological way.

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CONCLUSION

Wedge scale - Policies and legal framework

The main points for the Policies documents are the connection between different kinds of elements from urban to natural characteristics, some of the documents and plans pay more attention to the urban area and other ins a larger scale to the rural context in Milano’s province.

The research made in the policies shows some elements that are disconnected and the potentiality to connect and create important relations in the city and in the rural context, to produce good changes but mainly focused on the environmental and sustainable development.

As the main goal is easy to recognize the Naviglio as an element that gives structure to the GW6 since is along the main part of the area and together with the highway means a connector in one sense but also a division in the other sense. At the end is an important corridor that is considered always as a potentiality to start from this to reconnect some areas and create new dynamics in the city and in the countryside.

In terms of natural and rural context, is really important to recognize how the wedge GW6 is in a really crucial area where two main ecologic structures are divided and mainly the plans in the policies try to create proposal and structures considering those areas to be reconnected in a strong ecological way.

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S Y S T E M I C A N A LY S I S

GREEN SPACES

Systemic Analysis

Naviglio grande, that penetrates into the heart of Milan, defines an ecological corridor connecting different territories. It is due to the presence of this system that the axis is composed of a high amount of green spaces. Parco Agricolo sud i.e. a large protected rural area in southern part of Milan is an important green space. This is also the reason for the city to expand upwards protecting the ecological heritage of Po valley.

The green spaces in the Urban core are mostly fragmented composed of mainly parks and sports fields. Whereas as we progress from peri-urban to rural areas, the green spaces are composed by high agricultural value land.

SCALI FERROVIARI - CIRCLE LINE Two of the 7 abandoned railway yard of the green proposal are a part of this axis. The abandoned infrastructure will be transformed into urban parks, from degraded places to the lungs of the city. San Christoforo’s location is kind of the transition from urban to rural matrix. Whereas Porta Genova is at the core of urban matrix where the green is most fragmented.

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ECOSYSTEMS AND HABITATS Systemic Analysis

Due to the large size of the axis, it welcomes a lot of various habitats and species, dependent on a certain ecosystem. In fact, species need specific conditions and characteristics to be able to survive in a specific zone.

In this document, the different habitats are divided into two sections. The first one is defined as cultivated and built-land which covers all the artificial agricultural lands with uni crops such as rice, wheat, corns, etc.

It also welcomes man made water bodies and urban green open spaces such as park or gardens.

The shape of each of these land are formal and made of strait lines as they are artificial. In fact, through time, civilizations used the land and shaped it to what it is today.

On the other hand, the second category, which represent the natural freshwater and woodland, is characterized by organic and informal shapes and welcomes a lot of biodiversity in comparison to the cultivated and built land. In fact, uni crops for example don’t host many species. It means that they don’t have a high ecological value in comparison with wetlands which are considered as one of the water bodies with the most species.

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MAIN TREE SPECIES

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CULTIVATED AND BUILT LAND 60

WATER BASINS FOR MINING

CROPS

ARTIFICIAL WATER BASINS

ARTIFICIAL RIVER

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RIVER BEDS AND WATERWAYS

DECIDUOUS TREES

POPULUS WOODLAND

NATURAL WATER BASINS

NATURAL PARKS

WETLANDS AND PEAT BOGS

WOODLAND AND FRESHWATER

RIPARIAN ZONES

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LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY STRUCTURE Systemic Analysis

The axis GW6 is composed of rural and urban matrices, both equally important. The urban matrix consists of several stepping stones but few core areas. On the other hand, rural matrix has numerous core areas which are mostly fragmented. The axis has a very strong ecological corridor which is the Naviglio Grande from where other ecological corridors emerge, but not all of these are connected to cores or other corridors and end abruptly.

A possible strategy can be to connect these fragmented core areas to existing subecological corridors that connect to the primary corridor formed by Naviglio Grande.

Moreover, the stepping stones in urban matrix can be connected through green veins emerging from the primary ecological corridor.

The points of intersection of these systems can also be potential areas of intervention

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WATER

Systemic Analysis

Adding from the fact that it is the most significant water body of the axis, Naviglio is defined as the main ecological corridor of the area, connecting the urban and agricultural matrix together. The area is also characterized by many smaller water bodies and thus a strong irrigation system. This asset strongly increased the agricultural land value of the area which impacted on today’s landscape.

The aim of this water analysis is to identify and categorize the various water elements in order to achieve a better future strategy. It helps to highlight the significant junction zones offering high ecological value between Naviglio’s river and others water bodies, as well as green and hard infrastructures

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DIFFERENT USES OF THE CANAL THROUGHOUT HISTORY

TRANSPORT

FISHING

TRADE

RECREATION

IRRIGATION

TOURISM

LEISURE SPORTS/ CANOEING

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TRANSPORT

Systemic Analysis

The map shows how the transportation system is organized with different polarities all around a main center. The majority of the infrastructure are concentrated in the center, but there is a good connection with the surrounding areas.

Specifically, the axis is longitudinally connected with roads, the railway and a bicycle line.

Zooming in the axis scale it is visible how the slow mobility system has two main direction, the longitudinal between Milan and Abbiategrasso and one transversal in the Abbiategrasso area.

Therefore, even if in general the cycle network is developed, there are still some discontinuity which can be implemented, proposing new transversal connection along the Naviglio Grande.

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BUILT UP

Systemic Analysis

All along the axis, an evolution of houses typology can be observed in parallel to the decrease of density from the city to the countryside. Starting from Milan, the city offers typical historical residential buildings with little vegetation in the courtyards.

On the suburb of the city, the contemporary building blocks with 5-6 story can be found with open public parks around them. The edge of the city, along the axis, is characterized by massive industrial buildings such as IKEA which have been built during the industrial period of Milan. However, in those areas, the social aspect is totally neglected as there are no public spaces. It is only for production purposes.

Moving forward, small residential single houses, usually with garden, can be found which welcome families. The advantages of the single houses is their proximity to the city while offering a quality of living to the inhabitants.

However, the people living in these single houses are reliant on car or public transport as they are off-center.

Finally, the countryside is characterized by countryside houses and farming houses, far from any facilities, dependent on cars.

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URBAN TYPOLOGIES

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BUILT UP - LAND USE Systemic Analysis

Looking at the land use map along the Naviglio Grande, it is possible to notice that there are two distinct environments, the eastern area is characterized mainly by a dense urban fabric, while the western part is principally agriculture with a really low dense concentration of buildings.

Regarding the built up along the wedge, there are two residential polarities, the bigger one in Milan and the smaller one in Abbiategrasso. Additionally, more in specific it is visible a clear division in two main spaces of the Milan urban fabric, starting from the city center there is a dense concentration of residential while closer to the Naviglio commercial and industrial are the main activities developed in a longitudinal direction following the axis, with further formation of small residential area.

On the other hand, in the western part of the axis the territory is characterized by agricultural fields with scattered farmsteads, finishing with the second urban development of Abbiategrasso, distinguished by small development of other commercial and industrial activities near the residential polarity.

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SOCIO-CULTURAL Systemic Analysis

In terms of human activities, it is possible to consider the city of Milan as the main attractor regarding all the activities and services that offer to the people, especially in the historic center where the cultural and historic value is huge, then going along the axis to the countryside, the services start to change and offer more services regarding outside activities like parks and sports facilities. With a smaller size, it’s possible to consider Abbiategrasso as another important point being the ending of the axis can be considered as an attractor but in a different proportion, while Milan can be considered as an attractor in many scales from urban, provincial, national and even global, while Abbiategrasso mainly local.

In terms of population, in general, in the area is an adult population that works or study, that is important to understand not only the social and income level to confirm standard acceptable conditions, but also to understand due to the strong attraction of Milano that mainly the people make daily movements to go to the big city to work and study.

This is important to understand the environment in terms of socio-cultural aspect, and how to reach a project where it is considered in a multidisciplinary way, all the aspects that create the urban fabric in relation with the ecological structures.

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LEGEND

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LEGEND

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1

ABBIATEGRASSO

Abbiategrasso is a comune and town in the Metropolitan City of Milan with an area of 47.78 km2 area and more than 30000 population. This Town has in terms of cityscale, several places offering socio-cultural services such as commerce, parks, public spaces, and sports facilities that mainly serve t this town and can have an influence on the surrounding settlements.

Resource: http://ottomilacensus.istat.it/comune/015/015036/

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VERMEZZO

Vermezzo is a comune in the Metropolitan City of Milan with an area of 6.31 km2 area and more than 4000 population.

Mainly offer sports facilities and open public spaces as socio-cultural services, but maybe the main point of reference is the “Cascina Grande” which is an ancient farmhouse restored.

POPULATION

POPULATION

Number of elderly each 100 young

Number of elderly each 100 young

MOBILITY

MOBILITY

Mobility outside the town for study or work

Mobility outside the town for study or work

EDUCATION

EDUCATION

Incidence of adults with a diploma or degree

Incidence of adults with a diploma or degree

JOB MARKET

JOB MARKET

Participation in the Job market

Participation in the Job market

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SAN VITO

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San Vito is a Little settlement in the Metropolitan City of Milan but is a point in the countryside that offers some services in terms of socio-cultural activities such as a golf club and a forest as a public natural park called “Bosco dei 100 Passi”, this place can attract people even from the center of Milan and small cities around.

POPULATION Number of elderly each 100 young

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TREZZANO

Trezzano is a comune in the Metropolitan City of Milan with an area of 10.8 km2 area and more than 20000 population.

In terms of socio-cultural services, there are commerce areas in metropolitan scale, sports facilities and connection with important green areas that even can attract people from the city center and the surrounding towns, that plus the location becomes this area strategic for the connection between city and rural areas.

POPULATION Number of elderly each 100 young

MOBILITY

MOBILITY

Mobility outside the town for study or work

Mobility outside the town for study or work

EDUCATION

EDUCATION

Incidence of adults with a diploma or degree

Incidence of adults with a diploma or degree

GAGGIANO

Vermezzo is a comune in the Metropolitan City of Milan with an area of 26.7 km2 area and more than 10000 population.

Is a small town mainly residential with some commerce, schools, farmhouses (Cascine) on a smaller scale but the main importance is the potential that offers in terms of relation with the Naviglio.

JOB MARKET Participation in the Job market

JOB MARKET Participation in the Job market

Resource: http://ottomilacensus.istat.it/comune/015/015036/

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CORSICO & BUCCINASCO

Both as a “comune” di Milano are part of the main metropolitan urban area, merge with the urban growth of the city. With mainly residential areas offers several sports facilities and public parks and green spaces even in terms of metropolitan scale, cultural services such as auditoriums and socio-cultural services also in smaller scale supporting the population living in the residential areas like schools and commerce.

POPULATION Number of elderly each 100 young

Barona is a comune merged with the Milan metropolitan urban area. This comune and also the surroundings offer to the people several sports facilities in a smaller scale, commerce but also public open areas green and squares where happen cultural interaction activities such a markets and fairs. The location near some agricultural lands becomes a strategic area for manage the transition between city and rural lands.

POPULATION Number of elderly each 100 young

MOBILITY

MOBILITY

Mobility outside the town for study or work

Mobility outside the town for study or work

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EDUCATION Incidence of adults with a diploma or degree

Resource: http://ottomilacensus.istat.it/comune/015/015036/

BARONA

MILAN HISTORIC CENTER

The historic center in Milan, as an important ancient city, offers several activities and services regarding the socio-cultural aspects. But the activity is mainly commercial, Public services such universities and schools, and related with religion and museums. Everything concentrated and with an important and hierarchy that can attract people from the near towns, cities and even countries.

EDUCATION Incidence of adults with a diploma or degree

JOB MARKET

JOB MARKET

Participation in the Job market

Participation in the Job market

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CONCLUSION Systemic Analysis

The first synthesis map aims to understand and draw conclusions from the landscape ecology structure of the axis. It can be noticed that a lot of degraded areas are close to core areas and water bodies and have the potential to be improved. There is also a lot of potential to connect the cores through existing ecological corridors which are not connected to each other. There are few points of criticality where the high infrastructure connects with the ecological corridor along the Naviglio. In the map, the potential areas of improvement or addition of cores are marked and how they can be connected with the existing landscape system of the area.

Analyzing the infrastructure system in relation with the building typologies and the cultural asset it’s possible to conclude that two main critical areas.

Firstly, concerning the area closer to the center of Milan it’s visible that the area, mainly industrial and commercial, is a developed infrastructure node, but regarding the sociocultural aspect, there is a lack of activities even if the area is closer to the Naviglio axis and two important natural areas.

On the other hand, the second critical area presents the opposite situation. As a matter of fact, along the axis in correspondence with a residential area, it’s possible to find several socio cultural activities, mainly regarding the local scale, but also a lack of a good accessibility. Moreover, even the bicycle line is developed along the axis, but considering the transversal connections with other natural or socio-cultural activities the system has to be improved.

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URBAN CHA L L E NGE S | E S | NB S

GRE

EN

SWOT

• Rapid urbanization in the city leading to the decrease of neighborhood green spaces.

• Core areas are fragmented • Discontinuous ecological corridors

• Large agricultural matrix close to urban areas • Opportunity to connect ecological corridors

• Lack of ecosystem services offer by the ecological network in the city • Areas closer to the highway due to the sound and pollution can be affected and decrease the quality • Isolation of some ecological structures therefore can decrease their own quality and biodiversity.

• Large heritage value • Helps in t he f ertility o f the land, g reat i rrigation system • Adds to the aesthetic value • Center of attention for several activities around the area

• Water pollution • Less maintained • Water is not completely integrated with the urban and ecological systems

• Reconnection of the Navigli can provide for a good way to integrate water with the city • Tourist activities around the area can boost the economy and urban functions

• Due to urbanization and agricultural activities, water systems/canals are disappearing

• Developed transportation system in the urban area of Milan • Network bicycle line both in the urban and the provincial scale • Strong connection along the axis

• Transversal cut due to the highway • Low quality of areas around the railway stations • Low transversal connections of the bicycle line

• Strong diversity in term of housing typologies offering a large range of prices • Historical buildings emphasizing the value of the city • Solid historical and cultural value of the farmsteads

• Lack of nature/built up connection in the city center • Presence of spread industrial area along Naviglio Grande • Lack of connection to facilities in the countryside • Fragmentation of the landscape due to built infrastructures

• Built up offering opportunities for future potential public spaces • Good proximity to facilities in the city center • Built up in the rural area provides the opportunity for new green connections

• Some infrastructures act as a visual barrier • Industrial buildings have an impact on the air quality

• The average of the population is young and with a high education, which increase the sensibility to sustainable topics and tolerance to changes • The population are moving for work or study that means the main corridor have an important flow of people

• Some sociocultural nodes only offer a specific activity, restriction a complex socio-cultural dynamics.

• Lack of socio-cultural activities in some areas that integrate the green and blue infrastructures to the citizens

• Enhance the small nodes in the settlements to increase the idea of a polycentric city.

• The proximity and potential that had many nodes to create activities that connect the population to the green and blue infrastructure

• The gravity of the node that creates the socio-cultural node in Milan can decrease the capacity of the secondary nodes to hold some activities.

• The movement of the population can decrease the relation with the socio-cultural aspects where they live

W AT

NDSCAPE LA

• Opportunity to bring in the strong agricultural heritage of peri urban and urban areas • Abandoned a reas c an b e regenerated i nto urban parks to create a network of green infrastructure.

• Presence of two strong matrices • Large ecological corridor r unning t hrough t he center of the wedge • Several stepping stones and large core areas in the urban matrix

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BUIL

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RAL LTU CU

SOCI O

• The area allow a good implementation of the slow mobility

• Difficulty to create a strong longitudinal connection due to the highway • Highway is hard to cross for pedestrian and create fragmentation

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• Green areas in the urban fabric are mostly fragmented.

ER

OGY OL C E

• The a xis is c omposed o f different t ypes o f green spaces, • Parco Agricolo Sud is the dominant one.

• Presence of high agricultural value land.

• Parco Agricolo Sud enhancing the natural and historical heritage of the Po Valley.

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ST RAT EG Y A P P R O A C H STRATEGY

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ST RAT E G Y A P P R OA C H

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S TRAT EG Y D I AGR A M Disconnected Steppping stones

Connecting corridors

Milano

Disconnected Cores

Urban U Ur rb ba b an matrix matr mat ma trix rix Connecting corridors

Connecting corridors

Articulation point

Rural R a matrix matri m t x

Rural r matrix m rix

Disconnected Cores Potential area

Urban U Urb rb ban ba n matrix ma atrrixx Agricultural A g ic ltu al matrix matrix Main blue infrastucture

Abbiategrasso

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CHALLENGES

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

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ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

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NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS G R EEN S O LU T I O N S

GREEN ROOFS

GREEN WALLS

In urbanised areas, green roofs have several benefits, providing biodiversity and habitat, as well as reducing flooding issues.

Green walls or facades act as vertical systems integrating green with the streets, reducing air and noicse pollution; it also helps with keeping the building cool.

URBAN FORESTS The aim of implementing urban forests is to cool down the city. They act as green corridors, reducing air/noise pollution, impacting the well being of the community.

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GREEN TRAMWAYS Green tramways provide an opportunity to replace concrete materials with green cover, in turn reducing heat and flooding issues, adding an aesthetic value to the city.

COMMUNITY GARDENS Community gardens are great way to implement nature based solutions along with participatory urbanism, increasing awareness amongst the community.

AGROFORESTRY AND HORTICULTURE Tree plantation can be beneficial at a macro as well as micro scale, help increase the biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Horticulture, along with food production, has an educational purpose.

NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS B LU E S O LU T I O N S

WATER RETENTION PONDS Densely vegetated areas that collect and filter stormwater as it percolates tthrough different layers. They can be used in small sites and highly urbanised spaces, as well as areas that have little permeable surface.

INFILTRATION TRENCHES Shallow excavations covered with rubble or stone that enhance the natural ability of soil to drain water. They can be used near playing fields, recreational areas or public open spaces

BIOSWALES Bioswales are multi-layered, vegetated ditches that collect, slow down and filter surface runoff water and reduce the pressure on traditional sewage systems.

They can be used along car parks, roads, pedestrian and bicycle routes, public spaces.

RAINGARDENS Garden of native shrubs, perennials, and flowers planted in a small depression. They reduce the flow rate, total quantity, and pollutant load of runoff from impervious urban areas like roofs, driveways, walkways, parking lots, and compacted lawn areas

BIORETENTION BASINS Densely vegetated areas that collect and filter stormwater as it percolates through different layers. They can be used in small sites and highly urbanised spaces, as well as areas that have little permeable surface.

WET/DRY PUBLIC SPACES Multiuse spaces that acts as community spaces during dry seasons and during rainy seasons they act as water plazzas.

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