Addressing densification in Milan. Insights from the urban design, regeneration and financialization of the ex-railyards

This paper illustrates the densification in Milan through the lens of the urban design, regeneration and financialization of three decommissioned railyards: Farini, Porta Romana, and Greco-Breda. These urban projects exemplify the complex interplay between market-driven planning, real estate financialization, and urban design-making. We argue that the recent Milanese densification process was mainly market-driven and led by private/semi-public actors which fostered socioeconomic dynamism and also enabled land financialization. Each yard embodies a specific design-making model, i.e., the ecological-infrastructural city in Farini, the event-driven city in Porta Romana, and the cooperative city in Greco-Breda, exploring diverse interpretations of density as a design, social, financial and political construct. Finally, this paper draws on planning documents, interviews, and design analyses to argue for a qualitative understanding of density starting from Milan's experience.