Milano is an exceptional example of a non-fluvial city that has prospered for centuries also because of its canal system. The Milan canals have brought the city water for irrigation, defence and transportation of goods and people not only locallly, but also from the Prealps lakes to the Adriatic sea. At the beginning of the Modern age, the city expanded its limits outside the internal canals circle, putting inside the XVI century Spanish walls a grat expanse of space not yet used for buildings, but full of orchards, gardens and other types of cultivated areas. This was possible because of the irrigation offered by the canals, which were vastly ramified.But since the XIX century, with the arrival of the railways and also of cars afterwards, the Milan water transportation system could not keep up with the efficiency of such technological innovations. Consequently, the urban canals system had been reduced and has almost disappeared when the internal city circle was covered in 1929. Ever since, the city has erased the remaining cultivated (or however green) areas inside of it, in order to make space for buildings and the ever-growing vehicles traffic. However, thanks to a new mentality, in XXI century there has been pursue of solutions which could improve the urban life quality by reducing traffic and air pollution. Therefore, there have been voices in favour of a reopening of several canals system segments, making them navigable again and also regaining a bit of the urban green. Ever since 2009, while waiting for the 2015 Expo, there has been some discussion in Milan - sometimes polemics - regarding which canals were to be reopened and to find space for new ones. Therefore, there is the will to restore or to design water routes associated also to the rediscovery of the urban and suburban greenery along with cycling routes, in order to reinforce a "gentle mobility", similarly to what has been done in other big European cities. Within these projects, there has been discussion regarding whether it was admissible to manttain the greenery which had spontaneously grown over some debris inside the Milan Harbour, which had been abandoned for years; there were two opposite stands on this issue, resulting from specific cultural backgrouns. One was in favour of restoring the Harbour exactly as it was, therefore without the greenery interference, and the other one which appreciated this Wilderness "explosion" in the very core of Milan, wanting to save it no matter the cost.

Ripristino delle vie d'acqua milanesi: recupero nostalgico oppure completamento necessario a una nuova "città verde"? / A.G. Violante - In: Rinverdiamo la città : Parchi, orti e giardini / [a cura di] M.A. Breda, M.C. Zerbi. - Torino : Giappichelli, 2013. - ISBN 9788834888810. - pp. 251-282

Ripristino delle vie d'acqua milanesi: recupero nostalgico oppure completamento necessario a una nuova "città verde"?

A.G. Violante
2013

Abstract

Milano is an exceptional example of a non-fluvial city that has prospered for centuries also because of its canal system. The Milan canals have brought the city water for irrigation, defence and transportation of goods and people not only locallly, but also from the Prealps lakes to the Adriatic sea. At the beginning of the Modern age, the city expanded its limits outside the internal canals circle, putting inside the XVI century Spanish walls a grat expanse of space not yet used for buildings, but full of orchards, gardens and other types of cultivated areas. This was possible because of the irrigation offered by the canals, which were vastly ramified.But since the XIX century, with the arrival of the railways and also of cars afterwards, the Milan water transportation system could not keep up with the efficiency of such technological innovations. Consequently, the urban canals system had been reduced and has almost disappeared when the internal city circle was covered in 1929. Ever since, the city has erased the remaining cultivated (or however green) areas inside of it, in order to make space for buildings and the ever-growing vehicles traffic. However, thanks to a new mentality, in XXI century there has been pursue of solutions which could improve the urban life quality by reducing traffic and air pollution. Therefore, there have been voices in favour of a reopening of several canals system segments, making them navigable again and also regaining a bit of the urban green. Ever since 2009, while waiting for the 2015 Expo, there has been some discussion in Milan - sometimes polemics - regarding which canals were to be reopened and to find space for new ones. Therefore, there is the will to restore or to design water routes associated also to the rediscovery of the urban and suburban greenery along with cycling routes, in order to reinforce a "gentle mobility", similarly to what has been done in other big European cities. Within these projects, there has been discussion regarding whether it was admissible to manttain the greenery which had spontaneously grown over some debris inside the Milan Harbour, which had been abandoned for years; there were two opposite stands on this issue, resulting from specific cultural backgrouns. One was in favour of restoring the Harbour exactly as it was, therefore without the greenery interference, and the other one which appreciated this Wilderness "explosion" in the very core of Milan, wanting to save it no matter the cost.
canali navigabili; verde pubblico; fossa interna; Expo 2015; wilderness
Settore M-GGR/01 - Geografia
2013
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/226405
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