Open squares
The city of Milan has developed an innovative program for the regeneration and enhancement of public spaces, called Open squares.
The project, promoted by the City of Milan and developed with AMAT - Mobility, Environment and Territory Agency in collaboration with Bloomberg Associates e Global Designing Cities Initiative, is aimed at pursuing the objectives of urban regeneration and sustainable mobility of the Territorial Government Plan Milan 2030 and Urban Plan of Sustainable Mobility, in the context of Neighborhood Plan.
Piazze Aperte aims to enhance public space as a meeting place in the center of neighborhoods, to expand pedestrian areas and to promote sustainable forms of mobility for the benefit of the environment and the quality of life in the city. After several experimental projects carried out in 2018 and 2019 in which the new methodology was tested, at the end of 2019 the Municipality of Milan launched the call "Open Squares in Every Neighborhood" with the aim of identifying new spaces to transform. The call collected over 60 proposals from which new tactical urban planning interventions were launched to give citizens more liveable squares and public spaces.
Building on the success achieved, a second call for proposals was launched at the end of 2022, "Open Squares for every school", to promote new interventions near nursery, primary and secondary schools. 87 proposals were presented, involving 600 entities including groups, associations and 250 schools in Milan.
Thanks to these projects, the Municipality of Milan and citizens can actively collaborate in the conception, development and implementation of projects, as well as in the activation and care, according to the principles of shared administration, through the signature of collaboration agreements.
The Open Squares created are in total 52, with over 56 thousand square meters made pedestrian and livable thanks to the installation of new furnishings, including 430 benches, 130 bike racks (for 650 spaces), 55 picnic tables, 43 ping pong tables and 460 potted plants, flower boxes and vegetable boxes. Of these squares, 35 have also signed a collaboration agreement.
For any type of information and to propose events, or to collaborate and actively participate in the "Piazze Aperte" project, write to: piazzeaperte@comune.milano.it
- Inaugurations of school squares and streets, assemblies and meetings September-October 2024: look at the poster
- Open Squares. Seven school squares in 15 days, the first today in via Pescarenico in Municipio 5: read the news
"Open Squares in Every Quarter" was the public notice launched by the Administration for the identification of new areas of intervention for 2020. From Maciachini to Diocletian, from Tripoli to Sicily, from Ferrara to Bacone, 65 proposals from citizens, committees and associations were received within the scope of this notice. Places to be rethought, with tactical urban planning interventions on the model of Dergano, Angilberto II, Porta Genova, Spoleto/Venini, Lavater, capable of regenerating public space, transforming rest areas into social spaces for adults and children, improving the quality of life in the neighborhoods.
Click here for presentation
"Open Squares in Every School" it is the new phase of the program, this time dedicated to schools, which the Municipality of Milan launched at the end of 2022.
87 proposals were received from schools, associations, and citizens to return urban space to public life, increase safety for all, and improve the quality of public space.
On May 3, 2022, at Base Milano, the presentation meeting between the project proponents, the Municipality of Milan and the Municipalities was held: read the Press release
Read presentation and discover the 87 proposals received
After the evaluation of the tactical urban planning interventions and the positive response from the territory, the Municipality has decided to carry forward the definitive arrangement of the following squares, giving citizens back more livable, green and sustainable spaces:
How does this project relate to the Municipality's policies?
The project is aimed at pursuing the objectives of urban regeneration, sustainable mobility, equity and health of the Milan 2030 Territorial Government Plan, the Urban Sustainable Mobility Plan and the Air-Climate Plan, as part of the Neighborhoods Plan.
What happens once the squares are set up?
The Municipality of Milan will collaborate with the citizens to create these spaces, but also to manage, maintain them and plan events.
What if there are concerns about the project after it has been implemented?
The objective is to ensure monitoring of the new squares, thanks also to the direct involvement of associations and citizens with Collaboration Agreements, to detect any problematic situations and intervene to resolve them.
Are these squares definitive?
After evaluating the results of the interventions and conducting investigations with the various subjects involved, the Municipality will analyze the feasibility of making the transformation permanent based on internal priorities and available budget.
Has this approach been tried in other cities?
Tactical interventions such as those of the "Open Squares" program have been implemented extensively and successfully around the world: Paris in France, Athens in Greece, Bogotá in Colombia, Buenos Aires in Argentina, Sao Paulo and Fortaleza in Brazil, of Mexico in Mexico, Santiago de Chile in Chile, New York, Los Angeles in the United States, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Mumbai in India. The interventions have been designed to work efficiently, providing new public spaces, safe and accessible intersections capable of encouraging pedestrians and local shops with minimal impacts on overall traffic.
How to collaborate and propose initiatives for the "Open squares" project?
For any type of information and to propose events, or to collaborate and actively participate in the "Open Squares" project, write to: piazzeaperte@comune.milano.it
Updated: 27/11/2024