Legnano - School becomes city

The strategy is implemented through social and educational networks centred on schools in the Canazza and Gorizia neighbourhoods, but capable of generating a positive impact on the entire city of Legnano. It promotes open and widespread schooling, based on inclusive communication, with a universalist and multisensory approach.

The types of actions that will be implemented in the two neighbourhoods, started in 2022, will be as follows:

• Material interventions for redevelopment and energy efficiency, improvement and implementation of digital connectivity in the indoor and outdoor spaces of primary and lower secondary schools;
• Intangible interventions aimed at activating spaces, including through training and entertainment, based on feedback from listening and participatory planning processes;
• Joint construction of a community hub for young people in the former high school in Via Verri, which will be the result of material interventions to improve energy efficiency, renovate and redevelop spaces, and involve the target audience in the design and activation of the hub;
• Creation of a widespread system of public spaces and streets as places to meet and “hang out”, with integrated actions such as: material works to regenerate open public spaces in the Canazza and Gorizia neighbourhoods; community gardens and a “sensory” garden; structural works to improve areas identified as “crossings” to make the streets places to “live” and “hang out”. All this will be accompanied by entertainment in the “new” spaces created, by relevant interventions by social custodians at ERP buildings, and by the operation of community gardens and the “sensory” garden/vegetable garden;
• Redevelopment of a historic park (formerly ILA) open to the public at weekends, with the securing of paths and old solariums and opening every day of the week with activities involving and entertaining citizens through associations.

The keyword of the “The school becomes the city” project is urban regeneration, i.e. the coordinated set of social initiatives and urban planning and construction interventions such as replacement, reuse, redevelopment of the built environment and reorganisation of the urban layout through:

• the recovery/improvement of degraded, underused or abandoned areas;
• the creation and management of facilities, infrastructure, green spaces and services or the recovery of existing ones.

“The school becomes the city” will encourage the participation and direct involvement of associations, local organisations, local actors, residents and target groups. In order to involve all beneficiaries, a four-stage intervention format will be implemented:

• Sharing the VISION: sharing the project vision to set up a working group consisting of the Administration, educational institutions and other bodies.
• Designing FEASIBILITY: co-designing with local actors and target beneficiaries (young people, children, families and schools) of the spaces and areas involved in the project.
• Organising MANAGEMENT: preparing and organising the launch of the management project; drafting social use plans for the various areas and spaces involved with the parties concerned.
• Assessing IMPACTS: assessing the social impact generated.