Complexity in the governance of urban transformation and environmentally sustainable development

Research focus

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The teachers in this group are inspired to the work of Professor Cesare Chiodi, who first introduced “urban planning engineering” at the Politecnico di Milano in 1913. Here, research is deeply intertwined with experimental work and professional training/updating; with an eye on emerging international experience, it deals with the most relevant issues in the region of Lombardy, Italy. The phenomenological analysis of settlement facilities, based on their socio-economic and environmental setting, is viewed in the framework of the legal provisions and of the technological, assessment and financial components, with the aim of experimenting with the newest methods, procedures, simulation models, operating tools and assessment criteria. Redevelopment of public facilities for city improvement: new urban cores at the interchange stations The research is about the transformation of public property to be used with new urban functions and to promote city improvement. This research work started with the Finalised Project Transportation 2: “Urban planning and mobility” (CNR 1998), which identified stations as potential new urban cores, in keeping with European Union directives EU 91/440 – 95/18 and 95/19; it was extended through case studies. It was accompanied by technical studies and urban analyses on global networks, including social mobility in the “inter-ethnical city”. Transformation management The issue of involvement is strategically relevant in terms of transformation management. This methodological approach, that had already been studied and used by G. Fossa during her tenure as “visiting planner” at the Regional Plan Association of New York (1997-98), was further developed with a focus on environmental sustainability, by highlighting interdisciplinary synergy with science. This theme was developed focussing on the area of Milan and Lombardy, with special reference to the new legal tools – the Local Governance Plan and its Strategic Environmental Assessment. Further, studies on Cesare Chiodi, that G. Fossa carried out starting in 1994 when she began to re-organise the Chiodi archives, were reviewed, with special reference to Chiodi’s influence on the urban planning engineering school at the Politecnico di Milano. Complexity in planning and policies People involved in these studies have a tradition of research about science of complexity and territory. Since the end of the ‘90s, studies have been focussed on implications for planning practices, in connection with the changes induced by the new information and communication technologies. The researches (2003-06, still ongoing) are at two levels: - theoretical: in relation to new ICT, our interests are the aspects of complexity in policies, the role of methods and tools in planning and the new styles of planning; 10 7 - operational: the activity is building (and use) of innovative support systems for planning. Environmentally compatible development of the city and its region The need to combine economic growth and the local environmental sustainability prompted the study of high-impact urban areas (industrial sites, infrastructures, towns in Milan’s urban area and highly industrialised locations) and of sensitive sites (coastal areas, alpine towns), so as to experiment with new approaches that can help researchers implement their work and develop their specialisation. The experience gathered led to implementations finalised to the use of the GIS and Web technologies for the building of harmonised and shared data systems, of rendering standards that can highlight the effects of integrated policies on the local land, of monitoring systems for plans, schemes and rules. Urban redevelopment and local governance This research explores the issues of urban-scale planning, and considers today’s city as a system that is closely related to the landscape and to the mobility schemes. The study is based on a systemic approach towards understanding and governing the city and its territory; it aims at analysing methods, tools and techniques that govern and manage the transformation of the city and of its territory, designed to achieve a dynamic balance between the “demand” for activities by city users and the “supply” that the city can provide, with an eye on sustainable development. Professional training/updating activities The post-graduate updating course on “technical urban planning” started over fifty years ago, which provides an opportunity to explore and disseminate research findings. Between 2003 and 2006, over 270 professionals attended it, to discuss the new regional law on “Local Governance” that has changed the criteria and contents of local urban management. In the last course, seminars were held by non-Italian experts from the following organisations: Regional Planning Association of New York, Joint Research Center of European Commission, University of Navarra (Spain) and University of Paris 3° Sorbonne (France). Also, an Updating Course on Integrated Coastland Design has been held for ten years now, involving international teachers.

Dipartimento di afferenza

Dipartimento di Architettura e Pianificazione (DIAP)

Docenti afferenti

Full Professors
Gianluigi Sartorio
Giovanna Fossa
Associate Professors
Angela Poletti
Giovanni Rabino
Assistant Professors
Fulvia Pinto