Milano-Farm | Federico Gugliotta

Urban Agriculture in Milan

Milan is an ancient city that nowadays is adapting to the rhythms and the progress of the most famous cities present on the European soil. The bigger difference with the latter is the past history that for centuries has characterized its lands, its traditions, its population.

In this sense we must underline that the fertile lands of Milan offered great opportunities from the agricultural point of view and for this reason the Lomellina land has become famous for its excellent cultivations.

The area assigned for the project is Porta Genova, an area that has long been dismissed and with great potential. During these years, and especially during Expo 2015, agriculture and its products towed Milan into a worldwide reputation. Moreover, the will to create agricultural fields instead of aesthetic green landscape is because every citizen can enjoy healthy products at 0 km and to live the Historical context over a century ago.

This ambitious project is inspired by another fundamental concept: the recycling of water and the respect of nature. Taking its cue from the project of Turenscape, Houtan Park, in Shanghai China, the area will be crossed almost entirely by an artificial river created thanks to the collection of rainwater and wastewater throughout the surrounding area. Thanks to the natural filtering system of the phytodepuration, the waters will reach a pond in the heart of Porta Genova that becomes the reservoir to irrigate all the fields.

There will be four main areas: the first belongs to a residential area of 13,200 sqm, of which 5000 for social housing, the second, in the heart of the area is constituted by an exhibition area for the various design laboratories that are attached to Porta Geneva. The third, however, extends to the height of the station itself and is composed of the massive presence of agricultural fields. Finally the last but not least has the function to create a small park in which all families can relax and enjoy the days. The latter also works by connecting with the park located in the area above the project area, putting them in communication like a green belt.

Every agricultural field offers the possibility to get in touch with the theme of agriculture. There is the presence of shops where you can buy the products in km0, structures in which it is possible to learn and to cultivate, where young people can really understand the life of about a century ago.

The

residences were designed to have small vertical vegetable gardens in each apartment so as to fully enjoy the products offered by Mother Nature. Thanks to the shades designed to contain water and ground will be possible to choose and grow the products that we prefer, we simply buy them directly from the fields and transplant them in these green system. Part of the rainwater would be in reservoirs  that will irrigate all our seedlings.