MIND, Milan, Italy

Source: Desire site experience and future plans, AAU, page 34

MIND (Milan Innovation District) is a project originating from Expo 2015 in Milan, which had as theme "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life". Covering 1 million square metres in the North-West periphery of Milan, it represents a major regeneration effort through a public-private partnership. This partnership involves a 99-year concession between the public entity Arexpo and the private developer Lendlease. 

In 2017, Lendlease secured the Masterplan and began construction in 2018. With a total investment of 4.5 billion euros, the development is expected to be completed by 2031, over a 15-year period. 

Formerly a brownfield with no community, the area around MIND is now home to various business communities. Once complete, MIND aims to attract around 70 thousand visitors daily. 

The district will include residential areas, a university campus, companies offices and commercial establishments. 

Key stakeholders on the site include the Human Technopole Foundation, Italy's premier life sciences research institute, the Galeazzi – Sant’Ambrogio Research Hospital, the University of Milan (Statale di Milano), the Polytechnic University of Milan (Politecnico di Milano), the Triulza Foundation, and a Federated Innovationconsortium of 44 companies.

The MIND Milano Innovation District, located 15 minutes from Milan’s heart, is transforming into a vast innovation and science hub. Spanning over 1 million square meters, it aims to create a sustainable “city within the city.” Have a look at the Desire film from MIND Innovation District, created by filmmaker Benjamin Hesselholdt.

Watch the video here

In the first phase of Desire, MIND, together with PoliMi and Lendlease, explored the most meaningful focus areas, ultimately deciding to operate on three Desire principles: aesthetics, belonging, and movement. 

For aesthetics, MIND aimed to prompt reflection on the broader concept of beauty and investigate how aesthetics can enhance a space, seeking fresh and unexpected insights. Surveys distributed to key stakeholders, including Valore Italia (School of Fine Arts Restoration), have provided valuable input on perspectives related to aesthetics.

Regarding belonging, despite evolving from a pre-Expo 2015 brownfield to a hub with around 1,000 daily visitors, MIND lacks a strong sense of community. It is perceived as a distant workplace, difficult to access due to infrastructural barriers and ongoing construction. 

MIND is committed to exploring factors that foster a sense of belonging, addressing obstacles related to mobility and accessibility, and improving infrastructure and wayfinding to facilitate connection and identity. Strategies include designing navigable spaces, fostering familiarity and comfort, and creating a culture where everyone feels heard and valued. 

For movement, MIND acknowledges that the ability to move freely is linked to democracy and belonging. 

Navigating through MIND can be challenging, with individuals often feeling disoriented upon exiting the metro. Smooth navigation fosters familiarity, stronger memories, and a greater likelihood of return visits. To enhance accessibility and improve the overall experience, MIND is exploring the introduction of inclusive vehicles in the area. 

Within Desire, MIND aimed to employ a universal design approach, creating an experience accessible and usable by all people without the need for specialised adaptations. This approach enforces a single design solution to accommodate the widest range of users.

After choosing the principles and approach, MIND aimed to understand how stakeholders perceive its current status. To achieve this, MIND used three main tools: conducting interviews with key stakeholders to explore perceptions and outline future steps, engaging in surveys and meetings to identify opportunities and gather perspectives, and facilitating focus groups with experts to examine the principles from practical and theoretical angles. 

Feedback highlighted several key concerns. 

First, stakeholders noted the absence of a cohesive community within MIND, describing it as a "non-place" lacking social connections and engagement opportunities. There was also a lack of aesthetic appeal. 

Second, stakeholders pointed out the absence of shade, resting places, and gathering areas along the ‘Decumano’, the site's main street and link to the metro station. 

Third, there were issues with wayfinding, causing people to frequently get lost and have difficulty moving across the site. These issues particularly affected patients of the Galeazzi hospital.

MIND's experiences provided valuable insights from various stakeholders. Dialogues included exploring the concept of agoras, which connect aesthetics with community building. 

A focus group with students from Scuola Del Botticino, located within MIND, revealed desires for improved aesthetics, greater inclusivity, social interaction opportunities, a welcoming atmosphere, vibrant colors, natural landscapes integrated with architecture, and designated gathering spaces. 

Additionally, as part of the focus group, students were asked to compose postcards to friends, depicting their first impressions of MIND through pictures and text. Subsequently, they were invited to envision MIND in the year 2050 and craft another postcard from this future perspective, prompting them to reflect on MIND's potential future evolution.

These insights serve as important considerations for shaping the future of MIND and MIND intends to share them as guidance with space developers. 

Based on these insights, within Desire, MIND decided to focus on the Decumano. The idea of 'MINDforAll' originated in early 2023 from strategic discussions between representatives from PlusValue, Lendlease, and Politecnico di Milano. 

This early-stage concept envisions transforming public spaces within MIND, emphasising accessibility, hospitality, and inclusion. These principles are integrated into the strategic development dimensions and evaluation systems to monitor the site's evolution and long-term impact. 

As part of the process, an interpretative model was developed (Beauty for All), outlining the principles of beauty and inclusivity in public spaces, accompanied by a system of indicators. 

The model includes eleven output indicators that describe the public space experience, particularly within the Decumano, and are easily understandable by non-experts. These indicators were validated through a focus group that included start-ups, technology experts, an artist, and representatives from physically impaired communities and neighbouring areas. 

Additionally, eleven interviews were conducted with experts in urban transformation, impact measurement, and key stakeholders involved in the MIND decision-making process.

Towards the end of the Desire project, an artistic experiment was conducted by placing four benches at strategic locations along the Decumano, linking to one of the ‘Beauty for All’ framework indicators. 

An artefact, realised as a mobile polygonal yellow bench made from recycled yellow wood was created to serve as a marker of local identity. The benches aimed to provide aesthetic resting spots for older individuals, children, and those with health conditions, encouraging longer stays and transforming the area into a hub for socialising and knowledge-sharing.

Reflections on the benches highlighted several key points. 

First, the MIND project team evaluated the materials used. To adhere to the Desire principle of circularity, they reused formwork timber, which, despite being resistant, was unsuitable for painting and had to be used in its raw form. 

The design, however, was well-defined and enhanced the area's aesthetic appeal. 

Additionally, signs were placed to guide visitors to the benches and the central meeting point of MIND. The benches aimed to provide resting spots for vulnerable people, encouraging longer stays, social interaction, and improving the space's livability and sociability. 

The team recognized that the impact of the benches as an artistic installation could be enhanced. They envisioned a more impactful artistic presence to beautify the area and engage the community on a deeper level.

MIND has reflected on how it can empower actors and communities. Each actor within MIND operates with their own agenda, shaped by shared values and stakeholder expectations. 

MIND aims to influence these agendas and engage actors by offering a perspective aligned with the principles of NEB (New Ecology of Business). 

MIND also explored leveraging existing capacities when they align with corporate objectives. When there’s a gap, MIND seeks individuals who resonate with community issues and can bridge the divide between corporate goals and community needs. 

Furthermore, MIND aims to recognize and value local leaders, involving them actively in projects and listening to them. 

MIND supports these leaders by collecting and translating their knowledge into actionable insights and strategies.

Materials and helpful links

Find links below and at the top of the page.

• Transformation theme: Establish and nurture ownership
• Tool: The Beauty for All model
  

Territorial transformation plan

The transformation plan concerns MIND Innovation District Milano, and more specifically the Decumano, the main street crossing the area of the EXPO 2015 which is now being transformed into an area of mixed-use with both offices, retail, residential areas, research, universities, hospital and public space.

The Desire territorial transformation plan for MIND takes its primary outline from the Beauty for All Model which can be defined as the most important result of the demonstration activities. 

The Beauty for All model was physically manifested in the shape of benches which formed interaction points for MINDERs (people visiting or using the MIND district). The Beauty for All model gave a framework for monitoring and evaluating the impact of using artistic objects to support inclusion and belonging to a place.

In that sense, the Desire transformation plan for MIND both refers to a tested tool for assessing the value of integrating cultural/artistics elements into a specific site, and also the physical manifestation of this model, the Desire benches as a first concrete example.

The long-term vision

The Desire-connected long-term vision of the transformation of the territorial area is a vibrant community beyond activities related to work and business through continued work on identifying and building temporary interventions in MIND.