Retail has played a significant role in Milan throughout centuries, emphasizing the attractiveness of the city core and supplying facilities to local com-munities in what used to be the outskirts of the town. Different typologies of stores are currently under a process of continuous modernization and innovation, confirming the historical role of the city as an attractive node of flows and therefore of commercial exchanges. Retail and integrated activities (catering and “retailtainment” activities) play an important role in most of the recent urban regeneration schemes on the point of view of the economic feasibility of transformation programs and by providing the opportunity of enhancing accessibility and public space design in semi-peripheral zones. An Act approved by the Lombardy regional authorities in 2008 is intended to support and co-fund local policies aimed at improving urban commercial districts (such as common marketing initiatives, town regeneration projects, security measures, etc.). Five districts have already been identified in Milan, four of them in different areas of the city core and one in the former industrial periphery. The identification of the retail clusters has been supported by a specific spatial and geographical analysis that is innovative for retail representation.
Revitalizing urban retail systems: the case of Milan, Italy
MORANDI, CORINNA
2011-01-01
Abstract
Retail has played a significant role in Milan throughout centuries, emphasizing the attractiveness of the city core and supplying facilities to local com-munities in what used to be the outskirts of the town. Different typologies of stores are currently under a process of continuous modernization and innovation, confirming the historical role of the city as an attractive node of flows and therefore of commercial exchanges. Retail and integrated activities (catering and “retailtainment” activities) play an important role in most of the recent urban regeneration schemes on the point of view of the economic feasibility of transformation programs and by providing the opportunity of enhancing accessibility and public space design in semi-peripheral zones. An Act approved by the Lombardy regional authorities in 2008 is intended to support and co-fund local policies aimed at improving urban commercial districts (such as common marketing initiatives, town regeneration projects, security measures, etc.). Five districts have already been identified in Milan, four of them in different areas of the city core and one in the former industrial periphery. The identification of the retail clusters has been supported by a specific spatial and geographical analysis that is innovative for retail representation.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
