MAD, Stefano Boeri Architetti and Mecanoo are among five architecture studios to unveil proposals to completely transform unused railways across Milan, creating high-density housing and swaths of greenery.
The five proposals emerged from a workshop held in December 2016, which invited architects to reimagine the brownfield sites of Farini, Porta Genova, Porta Romana, Lambrate, Greco, Rogoredo and San Cristoforo as public parks, social housing and hubs for sustainable modes of transport.
The ideas for the regeneration project – called Scali Milano – were presented at this year's Milan design week.
The Green River proposal put forward by Milan-based Stefano Boeri and his team is an "urban reforestation project".
Aiming to cover 90 per cent of the available area in public parks, forests, orchards and a network of bicycle paths, the office estimates the scheme could absorb over 45,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and produce 1,800 tonnes of oxygen.
The other 10 per cent of the land would be used to create areas of dense building comprising housing, workplaces and services such as libraries, clinics and kindergartens.
