Promoting inclusive cities and safe mobility for vulnerable people: the case of “NoLo” district in Milan.

In the past, cities have always been designed for the movement of young and healthy people, but this has created discrimination in the use of means of transport based on age, gender, social status and health. Then, urban space, instead of promoting inclusion, becomes a place of inequality and social exclusion. New forms of urban design should start from the needs of the most fragile people, such as children, older people, people with impairments and women, to promote greater safety, accessibility to means of transport, and a more participatory decision-making process. The older population group (65+) is the one that has been growing the most in the last two decades, and for this reason it is essential to design friendlier transportation solutions, designed and conceived for their physical and psychological constraints. Using bottom-up approaches, to promote the meeting between citizens and city municipalities, more inclusive and sustainable urban planning and mobility programs can be triggered, some of which, such as “Tactical Urbanism”, have established themselves in major European cities thanks also to Art-driven processes. In recent years Milano has emerged as one of the most innovative pilot cities in the field of mobility and redevelopment, thanks to plans like the “PUMS”, “Piazze Aperte”, and “Just streets”. This Study investigates their impact, focusing on “NoLo” district and the mobility of fragile population groups, including older people.