Paper

Water greenways. A case study in Milano north area: “V’Arco Villoresi” (Villoresi gate - bow)

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Abstract

The northern part of Milan, even if it is formed of many medium and small Municipalities, is considered a big metropolitan area. It’s uncontained growth, has caused intense soil consumption and territory capillary fragmentation. Fortunately, natural and agricultural areas survive thanks to some political regulations, on different scales, that have limited damage and protected part of the most significant territory. Most of these are parks, historical agricultural landscape, historical hydraulic system works and architectural emergences. Currently, the principal requisites are, first, to preserve the residual areas, avoiding speculation, and, then, to reconnect a large system that is separated by urbanization and infrastructures.

Different greenway projects are planned in the northern area of Milan. First of all there is the Regional Ecological Network (RER), it is considered the guideline for local and regional planning. With the decision 8/8515, 26th November 2008, the Regional Committee approved the design for the most urbanized part of Lombardy and the criteria for its implementation at regional and local level. At the same time, the Province of Milan, within its’ Territorial Plan (PTCP), has armed itself with an instrument dedicated to improve the environmental quality of the territory and lives of citizens: the ecological provincial network, commonly called “Dorsale Verde” (Green Dorsal). In perfect agreement, a good example is what the Consorzio di Bonifica Est Ticino Villoresi ETVilloresi (Reclamation Consortium East Ticino Villoresi) is doing in the northern area of Milan and Monza-Brianza, working in different scales and involving Institutions (Region e Lombardia, Provincia di Milano, Provincia di Monza-Brianza and Local Municipality), Associations, investors (Fondazione Cariplo) and citizens.

The ETVilloresi is developing numerous projects on a large part of the territory in the north of Milano and it is increasing its works to draw water from theTicino river. The first is to realize a green corridor employing and improving an existent irrigation canal, the Villoresi Canal, from the Ticino River (west of Milano) to the Adda River (east of Milano): a project under realization that plans 86 kilometers of works with Villoresi Canal and other minor canal systems of about 4.000 kilometers. The project was presented in a meeting in Milano, some months ago, and it is called “V’arco Villoresi” and its intensions are to obtain an ecosystem linear area where water is the protagonist. Along the Villoresi Canal, a large wooden strip and a wetland area series will connect existent parks and ecosystems; a cycle way will join parks and towns; a “Villoresi Museum of Water” in Panperduto Dam (Figure 1) and a visitors centre in Parabiago.

Keywords: greenways, water, milano, milan, italy, volloresi gate, bow, landscape, design

How to Cite:

Pensa, E., (2010) “Water greenways. A case study in Milano north area: “V’Arco Villoresi” (Villoresi gate - bow)”, Fábos Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning 3(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/fabos.863