Table Of ContentSpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology
PoliMI SpringerBriefs
Marika Fior · Paolo Galuzzi · Gabriele Pasqui ·
Piergiorgio Vitillo
(Re)Discovering
Proximity
Generating New
Urbanity—An Action
Research for Milan
SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology
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UrbanPlanning,Design,andPolicy
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· · ·
Marika Fior Paolo Galuzzi Gabriele Pasqui
Piergiorgio Vitillo
(Re)Discovering Proximity
Generating New Urbanity—An Action
Research for Milan
MarikaFior PaoloGaluzzi
DepartmentofPlanning,Design DepartmentofPlanning,Design
andTechnologyofArchitecture andTechnologyofArchitecture
SapienzaUniversityofRome SapienzaUniversityofRome
Rome,Italy Rome,Italy
GabrielePasqui PiergiorgioVitillo
DepartmentofArchitectureandUrban DepartmentofArchitecture,Building
Studies EngineeringandBuildingEnvironment
PolitecnicodiMilano PolitecnicodiMilano
Milan,Italy Milan,Italy
ISSN 2191-530X ISSN 2191-5318 (electronic)
SpringerBriefsinAppliedSciencesandTechnology
ISSN 2282-2577 ISSN 2282-2585 (electronic)
PoliMISpringerBriefs
ISBN 978-3-031-08957-2 ISBN 978-3-031-08958-9 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08958-9
©TheAuthor(s),underexclusivelicensetoSpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG2022
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Preface
The book is the result of reflections and research in the field of urban planning
andurbandesignthathave dealtwiththeissueofproximityinrecentyears.After
the pandemic, many scholars have tried to reinterpret the urban dimension. Many
havenotedthefragilityofcities(technologically,environmentally,andsocially).In
contrast,inthisbook,wehavechosentohighlightthepotentialofcitiestocopewith
economicuncertaintiesandtheglobalchallengesaffectingtheplanet.Theaimisto
bringurbandesignbacktothecentreofthedebate,especiallythepublicspacedesign.
Theobjectiveistotranslatepoliciesandstrategiesintoconcreteactionstoimprove
thehabitabilityoflivingenvironmentsbyre-establishingaconnectionbetweenspace
andsociety.
Towritethisbook,wedrewonresearchconductedatthePolitecnicodiMilano
between2018and2019.Theresearchaimedtorethinktheroleofurbanspaceafter
the introduction of the new M4 metro line in Milan. The research findings were
the driving force to show how the reshape of urban space can unlock the adaptive
and transformative capacity of cities by meeting both the socioeconomic demand
to increase welfare and services for the population and the environmental demand
for improving the ecological and health performance of historic and densely built
settlements.
Thebookconsistsoffivechapters.
Chapter1,anintroduction,describesthecurrentrelationshipbetweenpeopleand
spaces,societyandplaces,andproximityanddistance.Thereisageneralreference
totheneedtoreducesocialinequalitiesandimproveaccesstothecity.
Chapter2looksatproximityasawayofreconfiguringthecontemporaryEuropean
city(Milaninparticular)basedonitshistoricalstructuringintoneighbourhoods.The
studyoftheMilanundergroundhasallowedustohighlighttherelationshipbetween
the M4 and the identity of the places it crosses, the different neighbourhoods, by
proposingthemetrostationsasrealneighbourhoodhubs.
Chapter3constructsapalimpsestfordesigningtheinterferencesbetweentheM4
metrostationsandthehistorical,social,andlandscapevaluesthatplayaroleinthe
redesignofthestationsinaperspectiveofresignificationofthecityanditsheritage.
v
vi Preface
Chapter 4 assumes the vocation of the new infrastructure as a field for exper-
imenting with new practices in sustainable mobility based on walkability and a
newgreenandblueconnections.Thisperspectiveallowsustoimaginethestations
and the M4 as a contemporary urban ecological corridor in the European view of
environmentaltransition.
The final Chap. 5 describes the technical instruments utilised (the master plan
andthemulti-levelspatialstrategiesandoperativeguidelinesforurbandesignatthe
scaleofproximity)usedtoredesignthespacesoftheM4lineonthesurfaceofthe
cityasaplatformforenablingurbanregeneration.
Therefore,thisbookintendstooffersuggestionsandoperativetoolswhoseuse
couldbeextendedfromMilantoothercitiesandinfrastructuraloperationsplanned
fordifferenturbanareasofItalyandEurope.
Authorship
Theauthorsagreedonthestructureandcontentsofthebook.Inparticular,Marika
Fior wrote Chaps. 3 and 4, Paolo Galuzzi wrote Chap. 5, Gabriele Pasqui wrote
Chap.1,andPiergiorgioVitillowroteChap.2.
Acknowledgements
Thebookispartofthe2018–2019DAStUresearchanditsoutcome.
PaoloBeria,LucìaBocchimuzzi,MarikaFior,PaoloGaluzzi,FrancescoInfussi,
Antonio Longo, Laura Montedoro, Filippo Oppimitti, Gabriele Pasqui, Laura
Pogliani,PaolaPucci,andPiergiorgioVitillodevelopedtheresearch.
TheCityofMilan,MMSpaDirezioneComunicazione(Milan),andAMATSrl
(Milan)collaboratedandsupportedtheresearch.
Rome,Italy MarikaFior
Rome,Italy PaoloGaluzzi
Milan,Italy GabrielePasqui
Milan,Italy PiergiorgioVitillo
Contents
1 Proximity, Distance, Urban Space and the Human Body:
AnIntroduction ................................................ 1
References ..................................................... 6
2 DesigningNeighbourhoodstobeCalledbyName ................. 9
2.1 InhabitingProximity ........................................ 10
2.1.1 FormGlobal(Pandemic)toLocal(Life) ................. 10
2.1.2 Dwelling,Working,LivinginProximity ................. 11
2.1.3 Milan,‘Mosaic-City’ ................................. 13
2.1.4 Neighbourhoods,CommunityandPublicSpace .......... 15
2.2 ResilientUrbanStructures ................................... 17
2.2.1 Urban Transformations as Missed Opportunities
forRegeneration ..................................... 17
2.2.2 NineteenthCenturyUrbanFabrics ...................... 19
2.3 (Re)shapeSpaces.FromHousingtoLiving ..................... 20
2.3.1 LookingforUrbanQuality ............................ 20
2.3.2 Urban Regeneration, a Multi-scale
andMulti-dimensionalProject ......................... 22
2.3.3 HowtoBringAboutRegeneration? ..................... 25
2.4 TheStationsoftheNewM4MetroLineasNeighbourhood
Hubs ..................................................... 29
References ..................................................... 32
3 TheRe-significationoftheCityandInheritedBuildingStock ....... 41
3.1 Proximity as Identity. From the Historic Centre
totheHistoricalTerritory .................................... 42
3.1.1 CallingThingsBacktoMemory ....................... 42
3.1.2 The Italian School: From the ‘Historic Centre’
tothe‘HistoricCity’ ................................. 45
vii
viii Contents
3.2 AFrameworkforRegeneration.NetworksforStructuring
NeighbourhoodIdentities .................................... 49
3.2.1 TheHistoricalTerritoryNetwork ....................... 49
3.2.2 Networking(Historical)PublicSpaces .................. 52
3.3 SlowTourismandProximityalsointheContemporaryCity ...... 57
3.3.1 NewItinerariesintotheHistoricalTerritory .............. 57
3.3.2 TheContinuousandDailyCareforHeritage ............. 60
3.4 DefiningaThemeforEachStationoftheNewM4MetroLine .... 62
References ..................................................... 63
4 Safety, Green and Blue Networks, Active Mobility
andWalkability ................................................ 71
4.1 PedestrianisationandInnovativeMobilitytoReduceUrban
Traffic .................................................... 72
4.1.1 UnsustainabilityandMulti-RiskAge ................... 72
4.1.2 PeopleandGoods .................................... 73
4.1.3 CitiesAccessibletoAll ............................... 76
4.1.4 TheStreetasCommunity(Public)Space ................ 79
4.2 An Ecological (Urban) Transition with Green and Blue
Networks .................................................. 83
4.2.1 TowardNewUrbanModels(Healthy,Sustainable,
Intelligent,Adaptive) ................................. 83
4.2.2 GreenandBlueInfrastructures ......................... 85
4.3 Active Mobility for Psychophysical Wellbeing
andSustainability .......................................... 87
4.3.1 ActiveCityandSalutogenicCity ....................... 87
4.3.2 Walkability ......................................... 89
4.3.3 ProximityHealthcare ................................. 90
4.4 TheM4Stations,NodesofSlowMobility ...................... 93
References ..................................................... 95
5 UrbanisminAction ............................................ 103
5.1 WorkingwithMulti-ScaleDimensionsandProjects ............. 104
5.1.1 TheContemporaryCity,aStratifiedPalimpsest ........... 104
5.1.2 FromtheMetaphoroftheTelescopetotheMetaphor
oftheMosaic ........................................ 105
5.1.3 AStructuralandStrategicDimension ................... 106
5.1.4 AnInstitutionalDimension ............................ 108
5.2 NeighbourhoodMasterPlans ................................. 108
5.2.1 ConstructingContemporaryUrbanMasterPlans .......... 108
5.2.2 ConstructingNetworksofProximity .................... 110
5.2.3 PlacingSlowMobilityattheCentreofUrbanLife ........ 112
5.2.4 RestartingfromNineteenthCenturyModernity ........... 114
Contents ix
5.3 ListeningtoandLearningfromCommunities ................... 115
5.3.1 TheCommunityintheComplexityofContemporary
Society ............................................. 115
5.3.2 HybridisingDifferentKnow-How ...................... 118
5.4 The M4 Master Plan, an Enabling Platform for Urban
Regeneration .............................................. 120
References ..................................................... 122
