Huge gray areas, sad, abandoned. Brownfields are abandoned industrial areas in our country, which occupy 3 percent of the total territory, an area of about 9 thousand square kilometres equal to that of the Umbria region.
What should be done with them? Project planners, creators and designers have always seen new opportunities for economic and social development at these ghost sites, thanks to a targeted reconversion. The urban void left by these degraded and dangerous areas often give way to innovative clusters that can improve the quality of the environment and are dedicated to sustainable development.
Some numbers
According to ANCE, there are over 9 million Italians potentially interested in the issue of former industrial areas, with an average of 2 sites per town, which also concern military areas and abandoned or held for sale railway areas. Confindustria has estimated a total value of land reclamation equivalent to 30 billion euros, with 415,000 potential jobs across the country, without resorting to the consumption of new land. In Italy, Audis (Association of Abandoned Urban Areas) was founded in 1995, which also has an internal research centre.
The example of London
There are former factories converted back to production sites, but also complete residential and tourist-commercial areas with services for citizens. One of the clearest examples of these conversions undoubtedly regards London's famous docks, former port areas overlooking the North banks of the Thames, by now having entered into the collective imagination. These enormous docks, which once welcomed merchant ships, with the arrival of containers and the decline of port activity overtaken by other industrial and craft activities, quickly became rundown neighbourhoods. This happened until the '70s, when the docks had become completely abandoned. While the port of London was gradually disappearing, the docks, however, remained and today, after the economic boom, have become hotels, offices, luxury apartments, museums and restaurants.
Do you want to participate?
The Sesto San Giovanni Municipality has issued a call addressed to designers and creators, entitled "All mine this city", to rethink the urban space starting from its inhabitants, giving value to the city and to its historical identity. You can submit a project for a budget of 30 thousand euros, focusing on urban design, green restyling, the re-use of open spaces, colour design and street art design. Submissions are accepted until October 31, 2016.