Piazza d’Armi regeneration in Milan: urban park, affordable housing, and sustainable development

The regeneration of Piazza d’Armi marks a milestone in Milan’s urban development. With the City of Milan and Invimit SGR signing a Memorandum of Understanding, this large public-led project is ready for its next phase.  

A strategic former military site in western Milan  

Located in the Baggio district (Municipality 7), Piazza d’Armi is a former military area of about 424,000 square metres. It is one of the largest undeveloped sites within the city. Most of the land is owned by the i3–Sviluppo Italia Fund, managed by Invimit SGR. The rest is held by the Municipality of Milan.  

One of Milan’s largest urban parks  

About 80% of the area will become public green space, more than the city’s Urban Development Plan requires. This project will create one of Milan’s largest urban parks and help connect Parco delle Cave, Trenno, and Bosco in Città in the western green network.  The project focuses on protecting the environment and supporting biodiversity, including preserving the “Bosco delle Averle,” a 1.7-hectare natural area. The final park design will be chosen through a public competition with help from the heritage authority.  

Affordable housing and mixed-use development  

New buildings will mainly be built in the former Magazzini di Baggio area. Of the 144,000 square metres allowed for construction, about 122,000 will be used here. The rest will be used elsewhere in the city for affordable housing and social facilities. The plan includes new homes, mostly affordable rentals for young couples and key public-sector workers. It will also add local shops and services for the neighborhood.  

A public-led regeneration model  

According to Deputy Mayor for Urban Regeneration Anna Scavuzzo, the project “balances environmental protection with affordable housing and long-term urban sustainability”. Invimit SGR CEO Stefano Scalera described Piazza d’Armi as “a concrete response to Milan’s housing and green space challenges”.  With the Piazza d’Armi project, Milan shows its commitment to sustainable urban renewal by turning a former military site into a new green and residential area.