Public-private partnerships for Urban Green Infrastructures: a preliminary investigation in Milan, Italy

The implementation of Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) and urban forestry programs is among the key strategies cities are adopting to enhance their preparedness for climate change. The underlying concept is to reintroduce natural components and processes into highly anthropized urban environments, providing multiple benefits, from stormwater management to the creation of more liveable urban spaces. One of the main barriers to effectively implementing these strategies is space management and the raising of funds for implementation and maintenance. In dense urban contexts, reallocating space from roads, parking lots, and other functions to green areas can be politically challenging and conflict-prone. Therefore, UGI strategies should not be conceived solely as top-down initiatives but should be developed through participatory processes involving citizens. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are an effective approach to support the micro- and meso-scale implementation of broader urban strategies. Active citizen involvement is also crucial for strengthening urban resilience, including social resilience, which depends on cohesion, participation, and a sense of belonging. This article presents a preliminary study on PPPs in UGI strategies in Milan, aiming to establish a baseline assessment and identify potential areas for improvement.