Academic research in the arenas of practice

The challenge of academic research on urban planning and design lies both in the exploration and experiencing of new tools and in finding a method of interacting with the communities, forging ties among researchers, disciplines and real contexts. For scientists it is a valuable opportunity to reflect not only on the importance of knowledge, but also on the methods used to develop and carry it out. Applied research is not limited to providing pertinent answers to questions but has a responsibility in the construction of the problems in the social arenas. In recent years, several academic researches in Politecnico di Milano supported practices of planning and urban design. Lesson learned from these practices allow us a few considerations, mainly concerning the appropriateness and usefulness of the academic research for the real world, its necessary selective attitude and its social awareness.