Towards 2030. “BiG Borgo Intergenerazionale”, a participatory planning experience in Milan (Italy)

The paper traces the genesis of an urban planning experience intertwined with participatory processes that has developed in Milan (Italy) from 2018 onwards: it is "BiG Borgo Intergenerazionale" (“Big Intergenerational Hamlet”) in the Greco district, in the north-eastern area of the city. The paper mentions, in its introduction, the choices of the Public Administration, which in 2019 approved a Territorial Government Plan (PGT) with overarching goals shared with the citizens; among the different thematic fields, Milan commit-ted to enhancing its 88 neighborhoods, Greco included, by focusing on their en-vironmental, economic, and social assets and local identities. The paper clarifies the objectives pursued by the interdisciplinary team of the 'BiG' project, a collaborative effort to create a 'permanent laboratory of shared liv-ing' in line with the values of the PGT. In describing the methodology, the paper reports how the project has pursued co-herence with the urban planning tools already in use and how it has contributed to the experimentation of integrative tools capable of supporting the change. It also presents the international experiences that constituted the scientific reference for the project, such as the German Mehrgenerationenhäuser, which inspired the pro-ject's intergenerational focus and community-oriented approach. Also, interviews with the various actors involved expose the results of intense work, thanks to which the Greco district has been transformed into a model community hub for experimental and innovative living answers. Finally, the conclusions also mention some unexpected projects that have integrated well with what was initially planned.