Urban Regeneration and Sustainable Communities - Milan

[i]Research seminar [/i] 22 January 2007, 10.00am-1.00pm Via Garofalo, 39 Milano Sala del Consiglio DiAP (first floor) [b]Themes for the seminar[/b] The purpose of this seminar is to explore the meaning of ‘sustainability’ - within contemporary regeneration theory and practice - for residents in urban regeneration initiatives. The seminar will draw on examples of British regeneration initiatives that have the aim of achieving sustainability as a goal, and seek to outline issues that need to be considered in translating these experiences in other contexts. Planners and policy makers have long appreciated the value of diversity within urban environments. More recently, issues of diversity have been innovatively harnessed to longer-term concerns with sustainability. One expression of this innovation has been policy makers’ increasing interest in the role of mixed-income and mixed-use criteria in promoting diversity and sustainable communities. Emerging evidence suggests that diversity can contribute to sustainability if a wide conceptualisation of diversity is drawn upon and the physical design process is not privileged over the social processes. However, the policy makers’ focus on ‘communities’ is itself coloured by a broader political rhetoric that is emphasising a return to, what often emerge as, relatively conservative interpretations of ‘community values’. This raises the question of the extent to which urban planning practices and the goals associated with the sustainable communities really offer a significant opportunity to achieve more equal, socially just, and sustainable urban environments. The seminar will seek to explore this overall question and consider the implications for Italian cities pursuing similar goals. [b]Program[/b] 10.00 Welcome and introduction to the seminar Corinna Morandi, Department of Architecture and Planning, Politecnico of Milan 10.30 Urban Regeneration and the role of mixed communities in contributing to sustainability Silvia Gullino, Department of Architecture and Planning, Politecnico of Milan 11.00 Sustainable Communities and the New Spatial Policy in England Mike Raco, Department of Geography, King’s College University of London 11.30 Planning and developing mixed income communities in England and Scotland – some early reflections Anna Haworth, School of Architecture and the Built Environment, University of Westminster 12.00 Debate Co-ordinator and chair: Antonio Tosi, Department of Architecture and Planning, Politecnico of Milan Discussants: Massimo Bricocoli, Valeria Erba, Danilo Palazzo, Department of Architecture and Planning, Politecnico of Milan 13.00 Lunch break 15.30 Workshop Presentation of current urban regeneration projects by Anna Haworth and Mike Raco and by post-graduates of the department For more information: [url=mailto:silvia.gullino@polimi.it]mailto:silvia.gullino@polimi.it[/url]