Design artefacts as exploratory tools of Urban Biodiversity debates: eight case studies on Milan

The poster demonstrates methods to map and communicate debates about urban biodiversity in Milan. Advocating for urban biodiversity through dedicated policies has become a necessity in our increasingly urbanized environment. However, this process is not without its challenges: What happens when these policies impact a relatively small area and group of people? What reactions do they provoke? How can we gauge the extent of the debate? The research was guided by the theoretical framework of Digital Methods and Issue Mapping. We used various web platforms as a lens to delve into the dynamics of a portion of the debate. This included analyzing the most viewed YouTube videos, images used by online media outlets, comments on Facebook, and transcripts of municipal meetings. The research focused on eight hyper-local debates in the city of Milan: the construction of the Olympic village; the redevelopment of La Goccia, a former industrial area north of Milan; the future of Piazza d'Armi in Baggio; the maintenance of Milan parks; the Forestami reforestation project; the regeneration of via Pacini; the wisteria of Piazza Baiamonti; and the wood of via Falck. Information design and data visualization approaches were employed to develop informative artifacts that were later displayed in a public exhibition. The research allowed for an analysis of how various debates are structured around the theme of urban biodiversity: the most used terms, citizens' fears and expectations, the linguistic variety of different political positions on the issue, and the identification of the role of urban biodiversity in collective perception.