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The works in Piazzale Fabio Chiesa are nearing completion, the inauguration will take place tomorrow. Construction begins in Isola

Milan, October 29 2020 – Two new tactical urban planning interventions for a more sustainable and livable city, in line with the Administration's commitments to combat the climate emergency and create new places of sociality in every neighborhood. If in Piazzale Fabio Chiesa, known by the residents of the Chiesa Rossa neighborhood as "La Piana", an experimental project is nearing completion that will be able to mitigate the heat islands that are generated in summer, pedestrianization works are starting in Piazza Minniti which will bring a new place to the island in harmony with the regeneration of via Toce carried out a few weeks ago.

“New interventions, proposed and supported by citizens, new places for children to play safely, regenerated areas to be enjoyed on a daily basis by all ages: with the Open Squares program we are improving the quality of public space in all neighborhoods of Milan - declare the councilors Pierfrancesco Maran (Urban Planning), Marco Granelli (Mobility) and Lorenzo Lipparini (Participation) -. This pandemic is demonstrating once again the importance of a sustainable city, where you can have all services 15 minutes from home. These squares are designed precisely to become new places of reference within the neighborhoods, animated by those who, through collaboration agreements, are committed to making them alive and manned".

“La Piana”, a climate-proof open square

Piazzale Fabio Chiesa is the pilot area of ​​the project "Towards climate-proof living and working landscapes: adaptation to climate change and improvement of the comfort of public spaces and production areas in the peri-urban area of ​​Milan" co-financed by the Cariplo Foundation , promoted by the Metropolitan City of Milan, in which the Resilient Cities Directorate of the Municipality of Milan participates as a partner. The area was chosen from among those proposed by citizens and associations as part of the Public Notice "Open squares in every neighborhood"; based on the study of the mapping of exposure and risk to the impacts of climate change carried out by the Iuav University of Venice and the Polytechnic of Milan on the entire municipal territory, "la Piana" was found to be among those most sensitive and vulnerable to the effects of climate changes.

The “Cittadini per la Piana” project presented by the associations Atir, Alveare, L'Impronta, Le Pianiste, Progettopersona and “climate-proof” design plans to improve the comfort of public spaces and make them adaptive to climate changes, in particular heat waves. The intervention therefore involved the creation of a design on the yellow and blue asphalt and of a "green living room" in the area overlooking Via Boifava, where plants, flowers and trees (albizia) resistant to extreme weather events and able to cast a shadow from a young age.

The Piana, until yesterday effectively devoid of functions, will therefore be able to return to hosting attractive functions and playing a role of social protection. In this regard, the associations proposing the project have entered into a Collaboration Agreement with the Municipality of Milan in order to create, together, proposals and opportunities for social aggregation and support for the most vulnerable people of all ages.

Tomorrow, Friday 30 October at 15pm, a small inauguration will be held in the presence of councilors Lorenzo Lipparini (Participation) and Pierfrancesco Maran (Urban Planning).

Tito Minniti Square

The intervention starting in these days involves the partial pedestrianization of the square while maintaining the connection heading west from via Sebenico and the one heading north towards via Borsieri, in addition to access towards via Garigliano, where a protected southbound cycle lane will be created from the parking area which will be moved towards the center of the road. Also in via Garigliano, some interventions are planned to widen the sidewalks, near the pedestrian crossings at intersections, with the aim of improving road safety for pedestrians and slowing down the speed of motorized vehicles. The driving directions will not be changed.

Some racks will be positioned in the square while an artistic project will be created on the pavement selected from the 43 proposals received in response to the public tender open as part of the “CLEAR – City LivEAbility by Redesign” project financed by EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT) dedicated to innovation in the field of urban mobility. The intervention in Piazza Minniti follows the one carried out a short distance away last month in Via Toce, where the coloring of the pavement is nearing completion.

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