EUTROPIAN

Research & Action

Pioneering Nature-Based Solutions for La Goccia’s Green Transformation

About GOCCIA

GOCCIA, funded by the European Urban Initiative, is transforming a former industrial site in northwest Milan into an innovative green space where the environment plays an active role in design. Once a contaminated gas production site, the area has naturally rewilded over the last 30 years. GOCCIA builds on this spontaneous ecosystem, using plant-micro organism processes for natural soil cleanup and creating new nature-based solutions.

Key outcomes include a new green space for citizens, a model for community-inclusive ecological restoration, and a pioneering approach to interspecies collaboration and sustainable design.

GOCCIA reimagines Milan’s La Goccia area by transforming a contaminated, abandoned industrial zone into a vibrant, green community space. Anchored in a quintuple-helix governance model, GOCCIA positions the environment as a key stakeholder, pioneering interspecies design thinking to guide innovative nature-based solutions (NBS) for land recovery, community engagement, and sustainable urban growth.

Photo (c) comune.milano.it

How to reinvent a polluted industrial site?

Photo (c) pargogoccia.com

Nature-based solutions (NbS) in the GOCCIA project involve using natural processes, like plant-microorganism interactions, to clean polluted soil and restore biodiversity. This approach promotes ecological regeneration without chemicals, addressing pollution and climate change while enhancing urban sustainability. NbS create resilient, green spaces that improve air quality, support biodiversity, and offer long-term environmental benefits, making the GOCCIA project a model for sustainable urban renewal.

The GOCCIA project is essential for transforming a polluted industrial site into a valuable green space, addressing urban environmental degradation and the growing need for accessible public parks. By utilizing natural processes like plant-microorganism interactions to clean contaminated soil, GOCCIA demonstrates the potential of nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation. 

Eutropian's role in GOCCIA

Eutropian will support the GOCCIA project by facilitating participatory planning and community engagement, ensuring active involvement of local stakeholders through proven co-creation methodologies. Eutropian will provide expertise in developing social innovation strategies and solidarity economy models to establish sustainable governance for the new green space. Eutropian will also guide ecological restoration efforts, including soil cleanup, based on best practices from similar European initiatives. Additionally, we will lead knowledge exchange activities, connecting GOCCIA to a wider network of urban transformation projects across Europe, enabling the replication of successful models in other cities.

About the partners

Goccia-6_©Terrapreta
Photo (c) CC BY-ND 4.0, Terrapreta

The Municipality of Milan formed a partnership which unites Public Authorities, businesses, academia, and environmental stakeholders to align goals, pool resources, and drive progress. This collaboration focuses on policy coherence, developing local strategies, creating financing mechanisms, and ensuring effective communication and monitoring. Key partners include academia (specializing in urban NbS and environmental improvements) and SMEs (experts in NbS research, design, and implementation). CDM also partners with CF, a German organization innovating public space use and microclimate analysis through climatewalks to enhance urban quality of life.

Project goals

  1. Transform polluted sites: Convert a former industrial site into a green space using nature-based solutions to clean soil and restore biodiversity.
  2. Reduce climate change: Use plant-microorganism interactions to address pollution and promote climate resilience.
  3. Create accessible green spaces: Develop a new public park to improve urban quality of life.
  4. Inclusive restoration: Engage the community in the ecological restoration process.
  5. Innovative sustainable design: Explore interspecies collaboration for resilient, eco-friendly urban spaces.
  6. Replicable model: Provide a model for other cities on sustainable urban renewal.
  7. Enhance biodiversity: Support biodiversity and improve urban sustainability.
Goccia-4_©Terrapreta_Emanuele_De_Carli
Photo (c) Terrapreta, Emanuele De Carli

Approaches/Methods

  • Nature-based solutions: Use plant-microorganism interactions for natural soil cleanup and biodiversity restoration.
  • Ecological restoration: Enhance the site’s natural ecosystem through rewilding and soil health improvement.
  • Community engagement: Involve local residents in the planning and restoration process.
  • Sustainable design: Create resilient, eco-friendly green spaces through interspecies collaboration.
  • Knowledge sharing: Share best practices for replicating sustainable urban renewal.
  • Biodiversity enhancement: Promote native plants and wildlife to improve urban ecosystems.
  • Long-term stewardship: Ensure ongoing sustainability and community involvement.

Partners

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