On April 13th, after the annual meeting of Human Cities/Challenging the City Scale, the team of Polictecnico Milano organized a bike tour as a chance to explore the city of Milan and to get to “La Piana” to join an Experiment Lab in collaboration with people from the neighbourhoods and local associations.
In a perfect sunny day, after the visit of the exhibition “Human Cities Challenging the City Scale/Milano”, at BASE Milano, all Human Cities partners made an interesting trip by bike to La Piana (Teatro Ringhiera ATIR), Via Boifava 17, Milano. The participants started from the Zona Tortona Area, went alongside Navigli canals, passing through some new green public areas to get to ATIR Ringhiera Theatre.
After a guided visit at ATIR Ringhiera Theatre, a lab with the neighbourhood was a perfect occasion to get all human cities partners involved in the project of La Piana’s space. “La Piana is an empty place. Nothing is there and everything could be done”. La Piana, officially called Piazzale Fabio Chiesa, is a no-man’s-land, hidden, elevated and pedestrian. When in 2007 ATIR association started running the Theatre, la Piana was a place of discomfort and social awkwardness. Now the square is living a second life thanks to the engagement of a high number of local associations and informal groups of people who are organizing activities there. The Experimentation Lab had the aim to give visibility to the square, together with the community. It was inspired by the local artist the square is named after. Fabio Chiesa used to be drawing humongous flowers visible from the surrounding housing blocks and outer space. By weaving old and young, new and local, men and women, the lab created a way to establish the place. The letters of La Piana were decorated on big panels with a variety of colourful canvas and lights. It was hung visible from the street. This simple but effective lab was cheered up with a coffee break offered by a local association founded by muslim women who cook their traditional deli to share their culture and to raise funds for Italian language course for the newcomers of the neighbourhood.
See more of the event on Facebook.