21st Century (2000–present)

Milan Scali Ferroviari (Farini, Romana, etc.)

2017– · Italy · Southern Europe · Post-industrial regeneration and waterfront urbanism · Planned by FS Sistemi Urbani + Comune di Milano
Aerial view of the Porta Romana railway yard (scalo) in Milan during redevelopment, one of the Scali Ferroviari sites.
Aerial view of the Porta Romana railway yard (scalo) in Milan during redevelopment, one of the Scali Ferroviari sites. · CC BY-SA 4.0

Core idea

Rail yard redevelopments into mixed-use eco-districts

Why it matters

Massive inner-urban land release

Description

A co-ordinated redevelopment of seven disused railway yards ringing Milan, enabled by a 2017 programme agreement between the state railway property arm FS Sistemi Urbani, the Comune di Milano and the Lombardy region. The largest sites, Farini in the north-west and Porta Romana in the south-east, are being transformed into mixed-use eco-districts combining housing, parks and workspace, with masterplans selected through international competitions; Porta Romana hosts the 2026 Winter Olympics athletes' village. A share of value is directed to affordable housing and a green 'circle' linking the yards.

Significance

The Scali Ferroviari constitute one of Europe's largest inner-city land releases, extending Milan's post-industrial regeneration lineage from Bicocca and Porta Nuova into the 2020s. The operation is studied for its negotiation between a state landowner seeking value and a city seeking public benefit, and for tying rail-land redevelopment to climate and affordability goals — while also feeding debates on Milan's rising housing costs and event-driven development.

What shaped it

Sources

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hub.toekom.st — History of Urbanism · an interactive timeline of 850 planned cities across 6,000 years.