Vegetable gardens, social housing and public greenery: yes to the plan for the former Greco-Breda depot in Milan

The go-ahead has been given by the Milan City Council for the project to redevelop the former Greco-Breda railway yard. This is the first of the plans implementing the programme agreement for the transformation of Milan's former railway yards to reach Palazzo Marino and involves an area of approximately 63,000 square metres between Via Breda, Via Rucellai, Via Gilardi, Via Sesto San Giovanni and Via Torcello in Municipalities 2 and 9, owned by Fondo Fil 1 managed by Near Sgr, which is the implementing party. The "L'Innesto" project - winner of the Reinventing Cities 2019 competition - envisages the construction of a new carbon neutral social housing neighbourhood, while over 60% of the total area will be given over to green spaces and public spaces. After its adoption last December, and the time allowed for comments and counter-deductions having elapsed, the Plan was definitively approved without variations and amendments.

Through "L'Innesto" the surrounding neighbourhoods will be stitched together, creating a pedestrian connection between Bicocca, Precotto and the University: with the new railway subway, through the square and the green system that will be created, Via Rucellai will be connected to the Bicocca district.
Of the total 63 thousand square metres, the development of the plan provides for the construction of a minimum area of 21 thousand square metres of social housing (with commercial spaces on the ground floors of the buildings, for a maximum of 3 thousand square metres). The new district will host approximately 400 new social housing units (approximately 60% rented and approximately 40% in subsidised sale).

A 7800 square metre university residence will also be built, with approximately 300 student beds; great value is placed on the concepts of community and inclusion, with the creation of a common area consisting of spaces and services for all such as communal kitchens, laboratories, a neighbourhood concierge, a circular economy district. An 'energy centre' will be functional to the district heating distribution network. The interventions will be coordinated with the contextual redevelopment, already underway, of the Greco-Pirelli railway station by RFI, also financed by the Municipality of Milan for over EUR 11.3 million as the implementing party of the Pnrr - Integrated Urban Plans - investment.

To the east of the station, a new underground square will be built in correspondence with the pedestrian subway connecting with the station and given driveway access to the new station building under construction on the eastern side, so as to create access to the railway from the Precotto area, which is practically non-existent today. In fact, the redevelopment of Via Breda is also planned: with the shift of the road system towards the station, a section of the old road will become the pedestrian axis of the new neighbourhood while, parallel to it, the new road system will be built alongside the railway.

The project promotes the idea of a natural agricultural park in Greco: along the route of the current Via Breda, the Viale dei Gelsi will be created, which together with the main square will form a green corridor to which a community garden for residents, new vegetable gardens, and an orchard will be added. The Plan envisages public areas and public use for a total of about 39 thousand square metres, divided into green areas, squares, pedestrian and bicycle paths, to give the district a green soul with a contemporary agricultural connotation. A system of pedestrian and bicycle connections will enrich the green areas, including a community garden, an agricultural social green project coordinated with the Area Food Policy and/or equipped green areas for about 29 thousand square metres and, at the current planning stage, the planting of about 700 new trees. The urbanisation charges generated - approximately 3.3 million euro - will be used both for the road reorganisation of Via Breda and for the creation of green and pedestrian spaces, such as the underground square.