The Intricate Challenge of Recovering Modern Architecture Ecological Transition and Heritage Preservation in Milan’s San Siro Neighbourhood

As cities face increasing climate pressures, public housing neighbourhoods emerge as strategic frontlines for ecological transition. Often characterised by environmental inefficiency, social marginality, and degraded public space, they nonetheless offer latent opportunities for spatial and cultural transformation. This paper investigates the case of San Siro in Milan, where the “Rigenerare la città” proposal suggests a complete demolition and reconstruction strategy aimed at building a more sustainable and inclusive district. While embracing advanced technologies, the plan raises critical concerns over resource use, heritage loss, and the social cost of disruption. Through a grounded analysis of San Siro’s spatial fabric and community dynamics, the paper explores an alternative approach centred on an adaptive masterplan as a laboratory where technical and social tools are tested together for a just ecological transition. This includes incremental interventions on soil and buildings, low-carbon retrofit strategies, and the activation of local knowledge through participatory processes. Sustainability is thus reframed not only as a technical challenge but as a cultural and relational one—deeply embedded in everyday practices and collective agency. The project becomes a situated, evolving ecology of practices, capable of turning fragile urban contexts into active grounds for climate-resilient futures.