BreBeMi unaware by Nina Romanova

Self-sufficiency

Build the new city from the insurgent needs

Read the BREBEMI territory and deal with it starting from the concept of ‘self-sufficiency’ means to put in action different levels of meaning and patterns of action. First of all, we decide to combine the concept of ‘self-sufficiency’ with that of ‘integration’ in order to clarify the framework in which we want to work, that of the city “at the same time space of complexity and incompleteness”, in the words of Saskia Sassen (2015). The starting point, thus, is represented by the population analysis - showing that this territory is used by different kind of populations (Pasqui and Bozzuto, 2011): foreigners, commuters, unemployed, old people, young people etc. - and the facilities analysis. This investigation shows us the existence of several insurgent needs - the product of great socioeconomic transformation of the BREBEMI territory - which are not answered by the existing territorial functions. This happens because there is always a temporal gap between socio-economic transformations and territorial transformations. In order to bridge this gap we propose, therefore, four different strategies: densify the settlements around the main facilities and across the main collective mobility infrastructures (i.e. the railway stations or the bus transport main nodes); reconnect the territory on the scale of the short transfers (soft mobility) and of the medium-long transfers (public mobility); refunctionalize the existing and spread facilities, using them in order to answer to the insurgent needs of the populations; integrate and mix the different populations which use the BREBEMI territory, strengthening the public spaces between facilities and transport nodes. These guidelines work jointly on the territory in an integrate framework, beyond the administrative borders (Balducci, Fedeli and Pasqui, 2011) and adapting over time according to the new needs emerging from the socio-economic transformations.

002 / BreBeMi unaware

Self-sufficiency Build the new city from the insurgent needs

Group 04 Jeanne Godillot Riccardo Laterza Nina Romanova Yushan Sun

TABLE OF CONTENTS _01 Introduction: Read the territory through ‘selfsufficiency’ and ‘integration’: a double lens

page 03

_02 Population Analysis

page 04

_03 Facilities Analysis

page 06

_04 Self-sufficient districts?

page 13

_05 The challenge of ‘self-sufficiency’ in a transforming territory

page 16

_06 The insurgent needs

page 18

_07 Guidelines: four strategies to bridge the gap between the needs and functions

page 19

Densify

page 20

Reconnect

page 22

Refunctionalize

page 24

Integrate and Mix

page 26

_08 Conclusion: open the way to the BREBEMI self-sufficient city

page 28

_09 Study Case References

page 30

_10 Bibliography

page 31

BreBeMi unaware / 003

_01 Read the territory through ‘self-sufficiency’ and ‘integration’ A double lens Our research work is based upon the concrete application of the meter of “self-sufficiency” on the field of the BREBEMI area. We will start from a theoretical framing of the concept of “self-sufficiency” in its conjoint work with the concept of “integration”. Then, we will try to use this conceptualization in the analysis of the local facilities system, divided into five groups: education, commerce, health, culture, sport. The background of this analysis is represented by the general population dynamics (variation, density, income, unemployment ratio and populations tendencies). Facilities are a lens through which we can make a first research approach on how the different urban populations - intended as different group of people with common activities performed in the area (Pasqui and Bozzuto, 2011) - use the territory. We will investigate how the local facilities system works looking at the diffusion and the accessibility of them along the BREBEMI area. Thus we will see which portions of the territory could be defined “self-sufficient” and which could be considered not “self-sufficient” according to the structure of the network of a specific type of facilities (such as schools or sporting centers). The goal of this part of the research is to shape some projectual issues and locate them on the research area. We will underline some questions which emerge from our analysis, requiring both a deeper research and some projectual hypothesis; at the same time, we will select define some “districts” according to their popula-

tion characteristics and set of facilities, shaping in this way the perspective of BREBEMI as a “city of cities” (Pasqui and Bozzuto, 2011). It is necessary to build a more clear definition of the concept of “self-sufficient city”. The construct “self-sufficient” recall several concepts, such as “autonomy” and “independence”, “completeness” and “coherence”, “internal balance” and “stability” etc. Looking at these general concepts we can clearly realize that we have to avoid the transformation of a research perspective (the “self-sufficient city” as a lens throughout we can see the relations between different territorial processes) in a value judgement, for instance the “self-sufficient community”. The analytical frame of the “community”, in fact, carries with it an ambiguity: often communities are defined by their boundaries and their relative homogeneity, impermeability and self-defined completeness. The perspective of the “self-sufficient community” clashes with the definition of city “at the same time space of complexity and incompleteness” given by Saskia Sassen (2015). Both in an analytical and a projectual field, that definition oversimplifies the real structure of the city as collective human product and social process. We have thus to combine the “self-sufficiency” with the point of view of the “integration”. “Integration” is a complex, polysemic and maybe ambiguous word too, but we can try to define it more clearly starting from the actors’ (or populations’) uses perspective, and from the transactions which are generated from the different

actors (or populations) (Crosta, 2003). In this context we define as “urban populations” the several groups of people which are defined by the activities they do in the territory: workers, students, retirees, children, commuters, tourists, migrants and so on. All of these identities, shaped by the activities usually performed on the territory, are of course overlapped and flexible but could represent the starting point of our analysis. Starting from the conjoint perspective of “selfsufficiency” and “integration” and looking from the perspective of the populations’ behaviour we can underline some research questions. For instance, we can investigate if our territory is able to manage the different - and often conflictual with one another - uses of the space, and also to guarantee the space - intended both as physical space and as the abstract opportunity - for new uses, or new combinations of the elder uses. This is, for instance, the core of the definition of social capital in an urban context given by Jane Jacobs (1961), but it could also be seen as one of the possible meanings of the concept of habitability. The question has to be oriented in particular looking at public spaces and, more generally speaking, at common spaces (i.e. the private spaces belonging to dwellings, commercial centers etc.).

Cover image: sunset on the BreBeMi (Corriere di Bergamo photo) Down: commuters waiting for a train in the Treviglio Station (via www.jacoposcandella.it)

004 / BreBeMi unaware

_02 Population Analysis Different populations, same territory Population variation Looking at these maps we can see how the dynamics of the population affected the territory during the 1991-2011 period. In these two decades the metropolitan area of Milan and the north-east part of the Brianza region lose population, while almost all the BreBeMi area increase it, particularly along the A4. In the same period the population of Bergamo, Brescia and Chiari remain almost stable. The map of the demographic density of the population shapes five portions of the territory: the first one is the metropolitan area of Milan with the Brianza region, with an high density;

then, the transect along the A4 between Milan and Bergamo, with a medium density except for the two polarities of the transect; the transect along the A4 between Bergamo and Brescia, with a lower density, again except the two polarities; the transect along the BreBeMi between Milan and Brescia, with different densities, generally decreasing from Milan to Brescia; eventually, the southern area, with the lowest densities.

region; the area between Milan and Bergamo, Treviglio and Lodi; eventually, the area between these cities and Brescia. The unemployment map shows a more fragmented territory, where some towns of the metropolitan area of Milan are particularly exposed to the phenomenon, as the line between Bergamo, Treviglio and Lodi and the area around Chiari. Generally speaking, the percentage of unemployment seems to be lower in the provincial capitals.

Income and workers The average income map shapes several decreasing circles around the city of Milan: the metropolitan area of Milan and the Brianza

Variation of the population (%, 1991-2011)

Demograpgic density of population (inh./km2)

Average income (â&#x201A;Ź per capita)

Percentage of unemployment

BreBeMi unaware / 005

Different populations, same territory

the area between Bergamo and Brescia, less connected by the public transport system.

The BREBEMI area is crossed by several different populations which share a common space: here we summarize the distribution of four of them.

Young people are located especially in the Municipalities between Romano and Brescia, but also in some areas near Milan and along the Treviglio-Bergamo railway. Chiari seems to be a town in which both old and young people play an important role in the general composition of the population.

Old people are mostly concentrated in the main cities and around them, but also in Treviglio and other centers of the Western part of the territory. Commuters are located mainly in the smaller Municipalities between Milan, Bergamo and Romano, but they decrease significatively in

are precisely those which are most far from the railway stations.

Lastly, foreigners are distributed quite allover the territory, but they live mostly in the big metropolitan areas and around them, especially along the routes of the public mobility. The pleces where their presence is not so important

Old people (proportion between >65 inh. and 15-64 inh.)

Commuters (% of people who move out of the Municipality every day)

Young people (proportion between <14 inh. and 15-64 inh.)

Foreigners (% on the total population)

Sources: Banca dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Italia and ISTAT Statistics, Dati Lambardia shape

006 / BreBeMi unaware

_03 Facilities Analysis Methodology For the methodology of our analysis of the facilities, we looked at the territorial distribution of the them with a mobility-led approach. We want to know if a specific group of facilities is reachable - and thus accessible and usable from all the different portion of our research area. This approach derives from some historical examples, like the Christaller’s Central Place Theory and the Perry’s Neighbourhood Unit conceptualization. Of course, we can’t apply exactly those previous concepts to our research because they don’t have the same aims. Consequently, we tried to represent the distribution of the facilities through circles and squares, taking into account differents features for our analysis : -the concentration of facilities (there are « hot points » and some other « blank areas »); -the density of population; -the time of moving (which is not the same in urban and non urban area); -the physical accessibility; -the frenquency of using.

Concentration

Time of moving

Density of population

Facilities

Accessibility Frequency of using

BreBeMi unaware / 007

Education Kindergartens|Elementary Schools |Secondary Schools

These maps of the education considers the kindergartens, elementary and secondary schools. We can observe that the distribution of the facilities follows the number of the young people (5-14 years old), notably in the metropolitan area of Milan and the Brianza region, as well as in the urban areas of Bergamo and Brescia. We can also see some clusters (like the area between Sarnico and Palazzolo dell’Oglio along the Oglio river or the area around Melzo) and a central line between Milan and Brescia along the railway, which in a certain way cuts away two areas - one northern and the other southern - with a lower facilities’ density.

Sources: OpenStreetMap data, Dati Lambardia shape From left to right: Kindergarten in Brembate Sopra; Primary School in Palazzolo sull’Oglio; Secondary School in Romano di Lombardia

008 / BreBeMi unaware

Education High Schools|Universities

These maps of the education considers the kindergartens, elementary and secondary schools. We can observe that the distribution of the facilities follows the number of the young people (5-14 years old), notably in the metropolitan area of Milan and the Brianza region, as well as in the urban areas of Bergamo and Brescia. We can also see some clusters (like the area between Sarnico and Palazzolo dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Oglio along the Oglio river or the area around Melzo) and a central line between Milan and Brescia along the railway, which in a certain way cuts away two areas - one northern and the other southern - with a lower facilitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; density.

Sources: OpenStreetMap data, Dati Lambardia shape From left to right: Artistic Liceo in Caravaggio, Technical School in Chiari, University Campus in Dalmine

BreBeMi unaware / 009

Commerce Product Supply|Supermarkets

The distribution of supermarkets on the territory shows some specific concentrations, putting apart the Milan-Brianza, Bergamo and Brescia areas which are more knowed. We are talking about the Cassano-Treviglio-Caravaggio area, the Romano-Antegnate area, the IseoOglio axe or the Chiari area. Some portions of the territory seem to be less supplied by the medium and big commercial distribution: for instance, the areas east to Bergamo and south to the MI-BS railway. Adding a further consideration, this map shows only the distribution of supermarkets: we can suppose that the distribution of little and specialized shops (like vegetable shops, tobacconists, laundromats, butcher shops and so on) would cover our territory with a different pattern. Sources: OpenStreetMap data, Dati Lambardia shape From left to right: Shopping Center in Verdello; Supermarket in Antegnate; Supermarket in Romano di Lombardia

010 / BreBeMi unaware

Health

The distribution of pharmacies and hospitals follows the population density and the main mobility infrastructures, with some important clusters, beyond the Milano-Brianza, Bergamo and Brescia areas. We are talking about the Iseo-Oglio area and the town of Treviglio, Romano and Chiari. We have to make an important premise: it is impossible to fully compare the several hospitals in the area, because every hospital has different departments and specializations which work in an integrated way at a provincial and regional level. There are however some areas which seems to be not well integrated in this system: for instance, the areas east to Bergamo and west to Brescia (around Rovato), or south to the MI-BS railway. We also took into account the distribution of aged people, as they need more health facilities. It seems that the distribution of these facilities does not follow the level of aged people. Sources: OpenStreetMap data, Dati Lambardia shape From left to right: Hospital in Treviglio, Pharmacy in Martinengo, Hospital in Zingonia

BreBeMi unaware / 011

Sport

On the map of sport distribution we took two types of distances as we have a great difference between the density of population and intensity of movement in urban and rural parts. At first glance the sport facilities seem to be equally distributed along the whole area, showing a concentration which follows the population density. Some specific portions of the territory, such as those south to Bergamo and south to the MIBS railway are not well covered by sport centres.

Sources: OpenStreetMap data, Dati Lambardia shape From left to right: Football and athletic field in Chiari; Swimming pool in Treviglio; Tennis fields in Palazzolo sullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Oglio

012 / BreBeMi unaware

Culture

The culture facilities’ map shows clearly a concentration of museums, theaters and cinemas along the three sides of the MI-BS-BG triangle, with an higher density on the three vertices. It is more difficult to shape the different portions of the territory drawn by the culture facilities, because, for instance, the offers of museums and theatres aren’t equal one with the other and thus the distance-scheme could be insufficient in the description of the area. It is although clear that the area south to Bergamo and south to the MI-BS railway are less covered also by the cinemas. For the facilites less spread on the territory, as the theatres, the issue of connectivity is very significant. For instance, the last train from Brescia to Romano leaves at 10.25pm, so we can consider that it’s may be not enough to leave the theatre in time to get back home, if a person lives in Romano. Sources: OpenStreetMap data, Dati Lambardia shape From left to right: Theater in Treviglio, Cinema in Romano di Lombardia, Theater in Palazzolo sull’Oglio

BreBeMi unaware / 013

_04 Self-sufficient districts? Pattern of distribution in the BREBEMI territory On the schemes below we resume the situation of the territory according to the different facilites. The black lines indicate the areas which seems to be well served by the single typology of facilities. Overlapping these schemes is it possible to see how the different sets of facilities work togheter along the BREBEMI transect.

014 / BreBeMi unaware

_04 Self-sufficient districts? Pattern of distribution in the BREBEMI territory Excluding the metropolitan areas of Milan, Bergamo and Brescia, which seems to be well served by all the kind of facilities we analyzed, we want to focus on the central part of the BREBEMI transect. In this map we overlapped all the kind of facilities showing, with the black margins, the areas which seems well served by them. The negative of the previous map symbolizes the territorial gap between the distribution and concentration of all the sets of facilities and the population development of the BREBEMI area. Taking in account all the analysis developed in this first part of the work, we are now able to define eight areas inside our territory which

can constitute many “districts”, intended at the same time as research and strategic unities, i.e. the “strategic places” where to put in action “strategic projects” (Secchi and Viganò, 2009). These districts are characterized by the presence (or the lack) of some sets of facilities, and for the different combination of populations. We will see in the second part of the work that different populations generate different needs, which we will call “insurgent” because they often clash with the existing territorial functions, incapable to answer them. The definition and the borders of these districts are of course uncertain and mobile: here we present an estimation of their general characteristics.

BreBeMi unaware / 015

_04 Self-sufficient districts? Pattern of distribution in the BREBEMI territory 3

7 5 8

1 4

Cassano

Romano

d’Adda District ~58,600

~105 km

di Lombardia District

~556 inh./km

~37,500

~69 km

~513 inh./km

Treviglio/ Caravaggio District

Cologno al Serio/ Ghisalba District

~71,900

~123 km2

~581 inh./km2

~44,400

~83 km2

~531 inh./km2

Arcene/Verdello Chiari ~79,000

~81 km2

~969 inh./km2

District ~41,300

sull’Oglio District ~70,100

~101 km2

~691 inh./km2

District

Palazzolo

~76 km2

~537 inh./km2

Rovato District ~45,000

~75 km2

~599 inh./km2

016 / BreBeMi unaware

_05 The challenge of self-sufficiency in a transforming territory After completing the two levels of our first analysis - general population data and facilities distribution - we are able to define some questions and issues which could bring us from the analytical to the projectual field. First of all, we can see the general population data as an analysis of the demands which come out of the territory, and the facilities distribution as an analysis of the existing answers to those demands. The question, thus, is: is there a gap between those demands and those answers? Why is this gap existing and what are the strategies through which is possible to bridge it? In other words, through this first territorial analysis we had a glance on the social transformation in the BREBEMI area and, in a certain way, on the formation of new kind of population with new needs and perceptions of the territory and of its possible uses. There are therefore some questions which can carry more in depth this research work: are most of the people living in the urban areas because there are a lot of facilities, or are facilities located in urban areas because there there are the most of the people? And is there a relationship between the average income level and the distribution of the facilities along the territory? The richness (or the poorness) of specific portions of the territory finds part of its causes (or consequences) in the quality and coverage of schools, hospitals, sporting centres and so on? Passing from a research to a normative perspective, what is the role of the urban planning in those dynamic? Has urban planning to follow the ‘natural’ population and economic dynam-

ics or there are some goals that is important to achieve through the orientation of urban development? The goal of a stronger habitability (Balducci, Fedeli and Pasqui, 2011) of the territory seem to be a good normative approach for the self-sufficiency perspective, seen as social autonomy and integration among different populations. In order to bring this normative approach “to the ground” we considered that these new populations can be localized where their presence - and thus their demands - is stronger, and this mapping can be combined again with the distribution of the facilities in order to define a subdivision of the BREBEMI area in several districts. The districts represent from this perspective both analytical and projectual units: they constitute indeed the second scale of intervention after the scale of the whole territory. They possibly lead the definition of some places which work as centralities and nodes of a net which covers the whole area. The final, and most challenging question, is: is BREBEMI a city? The answer cannot be defined once and for all, because a city is a continuously changing body and not a static object. We surely can say that the BREBEMI territory has been - and is currently - crossed by an intensive urbanization process, which seems to have increased more the incompleteness than the complexity of this territory. This is the reason why, without a proper answer to the social needs which came out from this process, BREBEMI as a city will remain a potential without a concrete realization.

Build the new city from the insurgent needs In the first part of this work we based our research upon the concrete application of the meter of “selfsufficiency” on the field of the BREBEMI area. We started from a theoretical framing of the concept of “self-sufficiency” in its conjoint work with the concept of “integration”. Then, we tried to use this conceptualization in the analysis of the local facilities system, divided into five groups: education, commerce, health, culture, sport. The background of this analysis is represented by the general population dynamics (variation, density, income, unemployment ratio and populations tendencies). Facilities are a lens through which we made a first research approach on how the different urban populations - intended as different group of people with common activities performed in the area - use the territory. Thus we defined some territorial districts according to the population and facilities analysis, in order to give a strategic tool in the definition of the guidelines for a “self-sufficient” and “integrated” territory. In this second part, we will see that the needs expressed by the different populations using the BREBEMI territory can be defined “insurgent” because they seemed to arose suddently, even if they are, indeed, product of the great socioeconomic transformation of this territory during the last decades. In order to properly answer to these insurgent needs we will propose, thus, four guidelines: densify; reconnect; refunctionalize; integrate&mix.

018 / BreBeMi unaware

_06 The insurgent needs

The different uses of the BREBEMI territory which came out from different needs and aims of the populations we analyzed and the relationship between ‘uses’ requests’ and the territorial capability to respond them is one of the possible meters of the BREBEMI habitability. Here we briefly present some of these population needs, which we define “insurgent” because they rise apparently suddenly but they are in fact the product of the social changes which characterize the BREBEMI territory in the last decades. The result of these changes, together with the transformation of the welfare system, produced the fact that the spatial configuration of the existing set of facilities does not correspond even more to the new insurgent behaviours and populations.

Commuters The BREBEMI area is a territory of displacements. A lot of people move on the territory to work, study, have leisures etc. The territorial mobility trends are very different from one Municipality to another. In Treviglio, the % relationship between people who move outside for working reasons and people who move inside the Municipality for working reasons increased from 66.1 in 1991 to 121.4 in 2011; in Chiari, from 49.4 to 116.4. In Romano, while the private mobility increased from 44.1% in 1991 to 55.8% in 2011, the public mobility decreased in the same time from 14.7% to 10.3% and the soft one from 35.6% to 32.2%. Commuters require strong accessibility and connections between transportation nodes and facilities in order to save travel time. As they have often daily routine journeys, they also need to find what they require along their paths. From a policymaking point of view, according to their lower social cost, it is better to motivate public and soft mobility, reinforcing and integrating these networks.

Unemployed From 1991 to 2011 the unemployment rate mildly grew in all the territory, from 5.8% to 6.7% in Romano di Lombardia, from 7.7% to 7.8% in Chiari and from 6.7 to 7.4 in Treviglio and from 5.9% to 8.1% in Palazzolo sull’Oglio. It is noticeable however that in 2001, before the big economic crisis, these rates were almost the half. Of course the resolution of the unemployment problem belongs to national and regional economic policies, but their territorial dimension is quite important. Unemployed people need to stay integrated in their local societies even if they don’t find a job: this goal can

be reached giving accessible facilities for primary needs - food supply, healthcare, culture, sport … - and a stronger soft and public mobility system. They need also an effective system of work orientation in order to find a new job.

Foreigners One of the strongest evidence of the formation of new insurgent needs is the great migration flow which involves also the BREBEMI territory as arrival point for a lot of migrants from different countries (with different needs, aims, cultures and traditions). In Treviglio, the resident foreigners increased from 0.7% in 1991 to 10.8% in 2011; in Romano di Lombardia, from 0.5% to 17.7%; in Chiari, from 0.5% to 15.3%; in Palazzolo sull’Oglio, from 0.7% to 14.9%. The specific needs of migrant people are not easy to define in an univoque way because they depend from theirs original country. In a general view, we can say that they require good public spaces : this need is linked with traditional uses of the space, especially the “transition spaces” between private dwelling and streets, and with the average lower dimension and quality of their housing. The re-use and appropriation processes led by the migrants satisfy their new insurgent needs but change also the needs and the perception of the space of the preexisting populations. According to their lower average income, lot of the foreign people cannot have a car, which is a hard condition in a territory which followed a car-driven development: for this reason they need a strong soft and public mobility network. Specific groups of foreign people need - and sometimes bring with themselves - also specific kind of facilities, like cultural places or specialized shops.

Old people The old age dependency index (i.e. the % relationship between people more than 65 years old and people between 15 and 64 years old) of the BREBEMI area has increased significantly from 1991 to 2011. Taking some examples, in Treviglio increased from 21,6 to 33,4, in Romano di Lombardia from 14.7 to 25.6, in Chiari from 17.1 to 30.6, in Palazzolo sull’Oglio from 20.6 to 27.6. Old people are the part of the population that needs the most a good health system network spread on the territory; at the same time, they need also opportunities for socializing and participate to the local community life: this is why the local welfare system has to be looked in an integrate view, putting together the basic healthcare needs with the more com-

plex social needs. Old people have also specific mobility needs: on the short-time routes they need safe soft mobility paths; due to their lower capacity to face long-time displacements they need more spread facilities, such as local shops and leisures.

Young people Even they are not an ‘insurgent’ population we want to summarize also some of their peculiar needs. Children need well accessible schools and also cultural and sport activities reachable by home. They need of course also a strong system of soft mobility which can allow them to move safely in the neighborhoods. Growing with the age, teenagers need a large-scale public mobility system in order to reach the biggest cities, but is necessary to give them also mixed areas with facilities and public spaces where they can meet each others, study, play etc.

BreBeMi unaware / 019

_07 Guidelines Four strategies in order to bridge the gap between needs and functions The issue we are facing is the gap between populations needs and territorial functions. From a spatial point of view, we can say that there is a lack of facilities in some areas and a lack of connections to the existing facilities in other ones. The causes of these lakcs are different, but we can surely generalize them affirming that there is always a temporal gap between social transformations and spatial transformations, and between social transformations and the capability to face them by the local authorities. Even the same territorial configuration and its changes affects - positively or negatively - the territorial capability to respond to populations needs: the predominance of private transport in some areas could, for instance, force a redistribution of the facilities across a more extended territory. Finally, the transformation of the facilities system - especially the shrinkage of public expenditure during the last decades - determines important consequences - mainly negative - on the issue of the lack between needs and facilities. The new BREBEMI city cannot be imagined and built without starting from these new insurgent needs and dealing with them. This assumption means that the strategy we have to put in action is based upon two perspectives: link (new and different) needs with (new and creative) solutions; and adapt the existing system to the new transformations, creating new functions and new networks. Go beyond the tradition of municipal welfare, with its structures, procedures and administrative borders, constitutes an important premise of this vision in order to improve the performance of the facilities system (Balducci, Fedeli and Pasqui, 2011). It is difficult to identify an univoque way of action because of the great differences we can find inside the BREBEMI city, but we can however shape four different projectual guidelines, partly linked and overlapped one with the others. These guidelines can be combined in different ways in order to give new answers to the insurgent needs which are re-shaping the BREBEMI city.

Densify Densify the settlements around the main facilities and across the main collective mobility infrastructures (i.e. the railway stations or the bus transport main nodes). This guideline means, in concrete: Reuse the abandoned areas in order to establish new mixed functions integrated with the rest of the urban area; Densify facilities in the urban area in order to let the territory to host new potential development in the future; Densify residential areas in the urban area in order to let the territory to host new potential development in the future.

Reconnect Reconnect the territory on the scale of the short transfers (soft mobility) and of the medium-long transfers (public mobility). This measure means: Improve the soft-mobility network especially on the area within 5 km from the railway stations and among the main facilities and town centers; Improve the railway service updating routes and timeschedules according with the new needs of the BREBEMI populations; Improve the bus service especially in the areas not served by the train, also with experimental systems like the booked bus.

Refunctionalize Refunctionalize the existing and spread facilities, using them in order to answer to the insurgent needs of the populations. This guidelines deals directly with the issue of the ‘temporal’ gap between the society dynamics which produce new behaviors and needs and the ‘spatial’ delay in answering them, proposing the reuse and adaptation approach in order to decrease this gap.

Settle new cultural activities using the existing facilities structures during their unused times or building up temporary structures near them; Settle new local shop activities using the existing facilities structures during their unused times or building up temporary structures near them; Settle new socio-healthcare services using the existing facilities structures during their unused times or building up temporary structures near them.

Integrate&Mix Integrate and mix the different populations which use the BREBEMI territory, strengthening the public spaces between facilities and transport nodes. This guideline could be seen as a resume of the previous ones, but in fact it adds one important field of action, which is the public space. The different populations shape sort of overlapped flows, with a lot of intersections, especially on the routes between facilities and mobility nodes. If BREBEMI is a city, even if a new kind of city very far from the “fordist” ones, these ‘interactive’ areas does not represent simple points of passage. They are in fact privileged fields of action in the construction of a shared and more habitable space. According to this vision, strengthening these public spaces mean think about them as place where people can meet, talk, play and so on. Open new public spaces recovering abandoned or degraded areas especially along the main fluxes of population, open them to multiple uses; Improve the urban furniture increasing the quality of the existing public spaces and their relation with the sorroundings, creating safer paths for pedestrians and bikers; Promote the self-management of public space establishing participatory processes in order to design and concretely put in action new uses and functions.

020 / BreBeMi unaware

Densify 1

Cassano

Palazzolo

d’Adda District ~58,600

~105 km

sull’Oglio District

~556 inh./km

~70,100

~101 km2

~691 inh./km2

Palazzolo sull’Oglio is located in a strategic position, middle way between Bergamo and Brescia. It has also several former industrial areas located even at the margins of the consolidated town center. Is it thus possible to concentrate the possible future development inside the boundaries of the built-up town, preserving at the same time the precious blue and green grid, which has the Oglio River as the main centrality. One of the most important areas, from this point of view, is the former Marzoli area, which can be reused as a mixed area and work as a Southern town gate.

Cassano d’Adda is well served by all the facilities we investigated: it seems that they are capable to support a greater amount of users. We propose thus to concentrate the potential future residential development of the area inside the already urbanized areas, especially on the axis between the railway station (South) and the city center, keeping the existing open and green areas and substituting the lowest density building patterns.

1 3

Potential densify areas in Cassano d’Adda

2 Treviglio/ Caravaggio District ~71,900

~123 km2

~581 inh./km2

According to our social data analysis, the economy of this area seems to be very wealth, as generally happens in the Eastern side of BREBEMI, close to the metropolitan area of Milan. At

the same time, while the productive structure of the area has changed, some productive site were decomissioned. For this reason we propose to put in action the densify guideline reusing some former industrial areas. The most important of them is the former Baslini area, near the railway station: its location is the ideal one in order to densify both residential areas and facilities, creating a mixed neighborhood well integrated with the rest of the city, providing also social housing and a new system of public spaces. This example show how it could be possible to densify in Treviglio, according to the insurgent needs that we described. The area is just to few meters of the stations and could be a way to give different facilities and settlements near to a transport nods.

Potential densify areas in Treviglio

BreBeMi unaware / 021 Legend of the schemes Train line Motorway Secondary roads

Facilities

Historic centres

Potential sites to densify

Abandonned areas

Areas which could be densify

Zoom-in areas

This example show how it could be possible to densify in Palazzolo sull’Oglio, according to the insurgent needs that we described. The area is near the historical center of Palazzolo, where we can find the most important part of the facilities in the city. Densify there, both

with facilities and settlement, would allow to reinforce the center and advoid more displacements by cars.

Potential densify areas in Palazzolo sull’Oglio

Chiari District

~41,300

Abandoned area Motorway Railway Railway station Main densify centers Secondary densify centers

Romano

di Lombardia District ~37,500

~69 km2

of the BREBEMI. We have also to notice that the existing set of residential areas seems to be underused and so capable to host new inhabitants in the future. What need to be densified in this area are the facilities themselves: this densification could took place in the areas between the railway station and the city center, those most used by workers and commuters.

~76 km2

~537 inh./km2

The area of Chiari seems to need a densification of the residential areas around the town center, trying to avoid more sprawl development, especially South to the city in the direction of the motorway. Even if some sets of facilities appear complete, it seems necessary to force more mixed used in the densified areas, particularly speaking for the local shops. Chiari is a specific area with lot of sprawling settlements and facilities. The idea would be to densify more around the existing build part.

~513 inh./km2

In the current situation, Romano seems to be less attractive than Treviglio or Cassano d’Adda, maybe because on this territory we can find less facilities than in the Western part Potential densify areas in Romano

Potential densify areas in Chiari

022 / BreBeMi unaware

Reconnect 1

Cassano

Arcene/Verdello

d’Adda District ~58,600

~105 km2

~556 inh./km2

District ~79,000

~81 km2

~969 inh./km2

We propose to reconnect the territory with the soft mobility - especially with bike paths - on a radius of 5 km from the railway station of Cassano d’Adda: in this way the towns of Trecella, Pozzuolo Martesana, Albignano, Trucazzano, Inzago and Fara Gera d’Adda will be reachable in less than 20 minutes on bicycle. The new bicycle paths will also connect some facilities around Cassano with the town center. We propose also to improve the railway service increasing the frequency of the rides.

Reconnectivity seems to be a crucial guideline for this part of the BREBEMI, which is composed by several towns not so far one with the other but with a wide, fragmented development and without strong soft connections. Connecting the railway stations of Arcene and Verdello with the towns 5 km around them means serve an area of more than 79,000 inhabitants, from Comun Nuovo on North to Geromina on South. These cycle paths net has to be integrated also with the railway line, increasing the rides from Bergamo to Treviglio and Cremona, and with a net of inter-town bus connections which can reinforce the functionality of the railway system.

8 7

2 1 2

Romano

di Lombardia District ~37,500

~69 km2

~513 inh./km2

Apart from the railway station, Romano seems to be a poorly connected town, inside itselfs as much as outside. We propose to reconnect the territory with the soft mobility - especially with bike paths - on a radius of 5 km from the railway station: in this way the towns around (Morengo, Bariano, Cortenuova, Antegnate etc.) will be reachable in less than twenty minutes on bicycle, reconnecting also the territories on both the sides of the motorway. We propose also to improve the railway service increasing the frequency of the rides and to create a system of booked bus routes serving especially the Southern part of this area. (i.e. the net among Romano, Covo, Antegnate and Fara Olivana). Improving the accessibility to the facilities by soft mobility in Antegnate

New cycle network around Romano

Romano

Covo Fara Olivana

Ategnate Zona industriale

Barbata Isso

Cities

BREBEMI

Existing cycle paths

National roads

New cycle paths

Treviglio/ Caravaggio District ~71,900

~123 km2

~581 inh./km2

BreBeMi unaware / 023

Basella

Ghisalba

Urgnano

Mornico al Serio

Cologno al Serio/ Ghisalba District ~44,400

~83 km2

Spirano

Cologno al Serio

Palazzolo

sull’Oglio District

Martinengo

~70,100

~531 inh./km2

Cities

National roads

New cycle paths

New bus lines

~101 km2

~691 inh./km2

New mobility paths in Cologno / Ghisalba distrcit

This district is the only which is not reachable by train. It is developed along the Via Francesca, which cuts the area on the West-East axis, from Verdello to Palazzolo sull’Oglio. The first goal, thus, is to strengthen the bus routes from the area to the closest railway stations (on the Treviglio-Bergamo and on the Bergamo-Brescia) and to Bergamo. Taking the Via

Francesca as the central axis of the local mobility, the second goal is to develop the soft mobility network, among the towns and the main facilities. A strong connectivity with the other districts of BREBEMI and with Bergamo is important in order to answer to the lack of facilities in the area.

We propose to reconnect the territory with the soft mobility - especially with bike paths - on a radius of 5 km from the railway station (towns of Capriolo, Adro, Zocco, Cologne, Pontoglio, Grumello etc.) will be reachable in less than 20 minutes on bicycle; strengthen the soft mobility system (rearrange the roads which- are done mainly for road transport without regards to bicycles and pedestrians); bridge the physical gap represented by the Oglio River between West and East. Furthermore, we propose to establish a bus urban service along the NorthSouth axis of the town, connecting the main densification locations, the railway station and the city center.

5 4

Rovato District ~45,000

National way Motorway Railway Railway station Existing cycle paths New cycle paths New bus connection

In the area of Treviglio and Caravaggio we propose to reconnect the territory with the soft mobility - especially with bike paths - on a radius of 5 km from the railway stations of Treviglio and Caravaggio: in this way the towns of Calvenzano, Vidalengo, Cascina Fornace, Masano, Fornovo San Giovanni, Misano Gera d’Adda, Vailate, Arzago and Castel Rozzone will be reachable in less than 20 minutes on bicycle. We propose also to improve the railway service increasing the frequency of the rides and to creaate a system of booked bus routes from the most peripheral neighborhood of the two towns to the railway stations and the most important facilities (such as the hospital).

Chiari

District

~41,300

~76 km

~537 inh./km2

~75 km2

~599 inh./km2

We propose to reconnect the territory with the soft mobility - especially with bike paths - on a radius of 5 km from the railway station: in this way the towns of Erbusco, Calino, Bornato, Cazzago San Martino, Pedrocchetta, Sant’Andrea and Coccaglio will be reachable in less than 20 minutes on bicycle. We propose also to improve the railway service increasing the frequency of the rides. Furthermore, we propose to establish a bus urban service from the station of Rovato Borgo to the town center and then to the station of Rovato Città, and vice versa. According to its sprawl development, the town of Chiari needs to improve its internal soft mobility network and also the connection in the 5 km radius around the railway station which could let possible to reach Urago d’Oglio, Castelcovati e Castrezzato. We also propose to improve the railway service, increasing the frequency of the rides and to create a system of booked bus routes from the peripheral neighborhood and the most important facilities.

024 / BreBeMi unaware

Refunctionalize 1

Cassano

Arcene/Verdello District

d’Adda District ~58,600

~105 km

~556 inh./km

~79,000

~81 km2

~969 inh./km2

This area seems to be characterized by a lack in the facility set and a disordered distribution of the existing facilities. For this reason, it is very important to refunctionalize some of them, according to the needs of commuters and foreigners, who represent the most important ‘insurgent populations’ of the area. The existing facilities that can be considered for refunctionalize them are sports, primary and secondary schools. We propose thus to work mostly on adding some cultural and educational events, that could be held within the walls of schools. Commuters may need some additional services, as product fairs or markets near their working or studying place.

While the predominant insurgent needs of the area are that of commuters and foreigners, and existing facilities that can be considered for refunctionalize are sports, primary and secondary schools and cultural establishments, by merging this two components we propose to work mostly on adding some cultural and educational events, that could be held within the walls of schools and cultural buildings. Refunctionalization of a school theater in Cassano d’Adda

8 7

1 3

Romano

di Lombardia District ~37,500

~69 km2

~513 inh./km2

Treviglio/ Caravaggio District The predominant insurgent needs groups of the area of Romano are commuters and young people, and existing facilities that can be considered for refunctionalize are sports, primary and secondary schools and cultural. By merging this two components we propose to work mostly on adding some cultural, educational and sport events for the young people, that could be held in all kinds of existing facilities. Commuters may need some additional services, as product fairs or markets near their working or studying place.

~71,900

~123 km2

~581 inh./km2

secondary schools and cultural establishments. By merging this two components we propose to establish a work orientation service and other kind of social services for unemployed and foreign people, cultural and educational events especially mixing foreigners and historic inhabitants, and provide spread basic centres for medical help and care for the old people. All this activities can be held in schools and cultural buildings during the afternoon.

BreBeMi unaware / 025

7 6

Cologno al Serio/ Ghisalba District ~44,400

~83 km2

~531 inh./km2

Refunctionalization of a public park

Palazzolo

sullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Oglio District ~70,100

The predominant insurgent needs groups in are young people, foreigners, commuters and unemployed: the existing set of facilities is actually not capable to answer to all these different needs. Nevertheless, is possible to adapt the very poor number of sport facilities and schools to to establish a work orientation service and other kind of social services for unem-

ployed and foreign people, cultural and educational events especially mixing foreigners and historic inhabitants, and provide spread basic centres for medical help and care for the old people. Commuters may need some additional services, as local markets near their working or studying place. All this activities can be held in schools and some kind of sport facilities.

~101 km2

~691 inh./km2

The predominant insurgent needs of this area are those of old people and unemployed. The existing set of facilities on which is possible to work on is composed by sports, primary and secondary schools and cultural establishments. By merging this two components we propose to establish a work orientation service and other kind of social services for unemployed and provide spread basic centres for medical help and care for the old people. All this activities can be held in schools and cultural buildings during the afternoon.

Rovato Motorway Railway Railway station Sport facility Education facility

Chiari District ~41,300

~76 km2

~537 inh./km2

and cultural establishments. By merging this two components we propose to establish a work orientation service and social help for unemployed, cultural, sport and educational events for young people and provide some basic centres of medical help and care for the old people. All this activities can be held in schools and cultural buildings. Near or inside the main facilities we can found also some temporary or light accommodations for local products shops.

District ~45,000

~75 km2

~599 inh./km2

The predominant insurgent needs in the area of Rovato are those of young people and unemployed, and existing facilities that can be considered for refunctionalize them are sports, primary and secondary schools and cultural establishments. By merging this two components we propose to establish a work orientation service and other kind of social services for unemployed and foreign people, cultural and educational events especially mixing foreigners and historic inhabitants, and provide spread basic centres for medical help and care for the old people. All this activities can be held in schools and cultural buildings during the afternoon. Nevertheless, considering the lack of stores in many areas outside the center, we propose also to establish local shops around the main facilities and the nodes of transportation.

026 / BreBeMi unaware

Integrate&Mix 5

1 Treviglio/ Caravaggio District ~71,900

~123 km2

~581 inh./km2

Treviglio and Caravaggio are two important town centers of the area, reachable by train and well served by a wide set of welfare facilities. In the area of Caravaggio the connection between railway station and town center is long (600 mt) and the street, even if the urban furniture seems in good conditions, seems to be more intended as a place of transit more than a vibrant public space. Our proposal thus is to intervene on the former Casa del Fascio in Caravaggio, a public abandoned building composed by three floors for a total of 1,250 m2 of covered surface, and 4,200 m2 of garden, with a huge peristyle (600 m2). The position and the characteristics of this building let us to think about it as a possible important resource in the attempt to reinforce this axis, generating new interaction, especially between different populations. The aim of the renewal is thus first of all give to the town a new public space, composed by the open green area, the peristyle and the covered space in the building; a space capable to host several uses and functions at the same time: meet, co-work, play, study, etc. The settling of these function will be the output of a participatory process which will involve the citizen of Caravaggio and more generally speaking all the people interested in the use of the area, both in designing and realizing the activities.

Palazzolo

sullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Oglio District ~70,100

~101 km2

~691 inh./km2

The railway station of Palazzolo sullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Oglio is located 900 mt far the town historic center, which was built along the Oglio River. The street connecting the station with the center is not safe for the soft mobility and in several point the sidewalk is present only on one side of the street. An interesting alternative to this route could be represented by the regeneration of a former industry in the center of the Sacro Cuore neighborhood, between Via Ponte Fusia and Via Attraglio. The particular position of the building - it works like a hinge between North and Center of the town - and its characteristics - one big shed, another smaller, some services building and a courtyard - make possible the idea to set up a sort of covered square, maybe with modular multipurpose small separated spaces and a big open space in the center. This new covered square can become a safer passage from the sta-

Left: scheme of the former Casa del Fascio in relation with the station-center axis. Under: uses outside and inside the building

Romano

di Lombardia District ~37,500

~69 km2

~513 inh./km2

BreBeMi unaware / 027 Legend of the schemes Street

Railway station

Int&Mix new public space

Facility along the axis

Railway

Int&Mix axis

Int&Mix facilities center

Green area

tion to the center, with the opening of another new pedestrian passage on the northern side: this perspective has to be followed also re-managing the area immediately under the railway station (Via Lagorio) which now seems to be a low quality public space.

Rovato District ~45,000

~75 km2

~599 inh./km2

Both the railway stations of Rovato (Rovato Borgo and Rovato CittĂ ) are far from the historic center. In the first case the connections of the two polarities needs a system of public mobility coordinated with the train time schedule. In the second case it is possible to incentive the soft mobility creating a cycle path along Via Matteotti and Via XX Settembre; nevertheless, seems important to reorganize the area around the railway station, especially on the opposite side referring to the center, where we can found the bus station and a small area, between Via Marconi and Via Alighieri, which can be converted into a square, creating a more habitable environment around the station but also at the service of the Eastern neighborhoods of the town.

Integrate&Mix transport node Motorway Railway Railway station Integrate&Mix axis Integrate&Mix facilities center

The predominant insurgent needs groups of Treviglio and Caravaggio are old people, foreigners and unemployed people, and the existing facilities that can be considered for refunctionalize them are sports, primary and secondary schools and cultural establishments. By merging this two components we propose to establish a work orientation service and other kind of social services for unemployed and foreign people, cultural and educational events especially mixing foreigners and historic inhabitants, and provide spread basic centres for medical help and care for the old people. All this activities can be held in schools and cultural buildings during the afternoon.

Chiari

District

~41,300

~76 k

~537 inh./k

The predominant insurgent needs of Chiari are those of old and young people, unemployed people and commuter; the existing facilities that can be considered for refunctionalize are sports, primary and secondary schools and cultural establishments. By merging this two components we propose to establish a work orientation service and social help for unemployed, cultural, sport and educational events for young people and provide some basic centres of medical help and care for the old people. All this activities can be held in schools and cultural buildings. Near or inside the main facilities we can found also some temporary or light accommodations for local products shops.

028 / BreBeMi unaware

_08 Conclusions Open the way to the BREBEMI self-sufficient city

In the second part of this work we tried to put in action, both on the scale of the whole territory and the scale of the districts, some insights coming from the first analysis. Is it of course still a work in progress, because our resources, in terms of time, data and skills were not sufficient in order to answer in a projectual way to all the issues coming from the deep social and economic processes which crossed the BREBEMI territory during the last decades. One of the most important problems we faced

during the work is the multi-scale approach for the territorial policies. The way in which we tried to solve this issue has been the definition of eight districts in the central part of the BREBEMI - excluding, thus, the proper urban metropolitan areas of Milan, Bergamo and Brescia. Is important to underline that the areas and the borders of these districts are porous and mobile, differently from the rigidity of the administrative borders which cut the territory in a strong way. The same definition of the districts as areas of intervention around territo-

rial centralities has therefore to be constantly updated in order to face new possible future insurgent need and territorial changes. The borders among the four guidelines are also vague and their fields of action are clearly overlapped. The keyword “integration”, which we decided to put in a conjoint action with the “self-sufficiency” perspective in order to avoid introvert and neo-communitarian drifts, comes in help also for the guidelines definition. Is it impossible to think about a single proposal

BreBeMi unaware / 029

Legend Railway Stations Motorway Railway National road Existing cycle path New cycle path New bus line axis Integrate&Mix axis

disjointed from the others, but is necessary to figure out its functionality according to the general strategic perspective. This evidence is valid also for a future evaluation of the fully implementation of these proposal. Finally, keeping in mind the definition of city proposed by Saskia Sassen (2015) - “at the same time space of complexity and incompleteness” - we cannot forget that the concrete development of the perspective of BREBEMI as a “self-sufficient (and integrated) city” is pos-

sible only with a continuous mutual relationship between analysis and practice. These conclusions are, therefore, unavoidably open to the new analytical and projectual perspectives forced by the future social and economic transformation of the territory.

Integrate&Mix transportation node Abandoned area Sport facility Education facility Integrate&Mix area Primary Densification area Secondary Densification area

030 / BreBeMi unaware

_09 Study Case References Methodological case study One of our references for the realization of the schemes representation belonging to the guideline maps is the “Centralities chart” from the PRG of Rome (2001). The caption shows a detail of this map where are indicated some ‘esternal centralities’ of the metropolitan city of Rome, both existing and projectual.

Projectual case studies Densify Euronantes Malakoff Project Nantes (France) Dallas Comprehensive Plan (USA)

Reconnect Bwcabus system (Wales)

Albertsons Compagnies, New design plan for supermarkets (USA) Antwerp Strategic Plan (Netherlands)

Refunctionalize Temporary urbanism Collectif ETC (France)

Envelope Architecture + Design, Proxy project (USA) Transparent Church (Netherlands)

Integrate&Mix Piazza+, Padova (Italy)

Territorial welfare Microaree Trieste (Italy)

BreBeMi unaware / 031

_10 Bibliography

Data references https://overpass-turbo.eu/ https://dati.lombardia.it/ http://www.istat.it/en/

Theoretical references Balducci, Alessandro. Fedeli, Valeria. Pasqui, Gabriele (edited by). 2011. Strategic planning for Contemporary Urban Regions. London: Ashgate. Crosta, Pier Luigi. 2003. Pubblici locali. L’interattività del piano, rivisitata. In “Urbanistica”, n. 119, pp. 20-24. Jacobs, Jane. 1961, 2000 ed. Vita e morte delle grandi città. Saggio sulle metropoli americane. Rome-Ivrea: Edizioni di Comunità. Pasqui, Gabriele. Bozzuto, Paolo. 2011. Keywords: City of Cities / [City of] Populations. In Balducci, Alessandro. Fedeli, Valeria. Pasqui, Gabriele (edited by). 2011. Strategic planning for Contemporary Urban Regions. London: Ashgate.

Guideline theoretical references Densify and reconnect Chisholm, Gwen (edited by). 2002. Transit-Oriented Development and Joint Development in the United States: A Literature Review. Transit Cooperative Research Program, n. 52. http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/ tcrp_rrd_52.pdf Papa, Enrica. 2007. Transit Oriented Development: una soluzione per il governo delle aree di stazione. TeMA, vol. 1-2007. http://www.tema.unina.it/index.php/tema/article/view/urn:nbn:it:unina-3524 Refunctionalize Bishop, Peter. 2015. From the Subversive to the Serious: Temporary Urbanism as a Positive Force. Architectural Design n°85.3, pp.13641. Bishop, Peter. Williams, Lesley. 2012. The Temporary City. London: Routledge.

Secchi, Bernardo. Viganò, Paola. 2009. Antwerp, Territory of a New Modernity. Amsterdam: Sun Architecture

Driggins, Kimberly. Snowden, Renan. 2012. Revitalizing neighborhoods through temporary urbanism. Public Sector Digest, dec. issue.

Sassen, Saskia. 2015. La città sa parlare?, in Bernardi, Claudia, Brancaccio, Francesco, Festa, Daniela, Mennini, Bianca Maria (edited by). Fare spazio. Pratiche del comune e diritto alla città. Milano: Mimesis.

Bifulco, Lavinia. Bricocoli, Massimiliano. Monteleone, Raffaele. (2007) Active Citizenship and Organisation of Local Welfare: the Italian Case of the “Microareas” Programme. Vienna: ESPAnet Conference Social Policy in Europe: Changing Paradigms in an enlarging Europe.

Representation Methodological references Carta delle centralità e funzioni, Piano Regolatore Generale di Roma, 2001. Garano, Stefano. 2001. Il sistema delle centralità. In “Urbanistica” n. 116, pp. 152-153.

Integrate&Mix Ostanel, Elena. 2015. Social innovation and territorial development in contested neighbourhoods : a matter of debate. Urbino: RC21 International Conference “The Ideal City: between myth and reality. Representations, policies, contradictions and challenges for tomorrow’s urban life”.