The bow is pointing straight towards 360° and, it seems, for the Milanese and the residents of the Lombard capital, there seems to be one trend: not to reverse course. Milan looks towards the north and moves cohesively in a continuity of development that tends decisively in this direction. Specifically, through three main components: Transportation, Construction and Regional Tourism.
North Milan has long been understood as a link between the central urban area and the district of Brianza. Over the years, this link has become one of the territorial contexts with the greatest infrastructural assets, both with road and rail public transportation. A growth plan born with the first Italian highway, the one from Milano to Varese, then developed with the North Highway, the busiest, the highway to the Lakes and enforced around the Milano-Meda expressway and the one called Valassina (connecting with Brianza and the area of Como and Lecco), combined with the railway lines Milano-Asso, Milano-Monza and the line to Switzerland, together with the subways M1, M2 and M5.
By the way, the Milan’s Subway is to date the most extended subway in Italy and the ninth most wide of Europe. A rather young network (the M1 Red-Line has first opened in 1964) and in continuous northward expansion with the new extensions of M1, M2 and M5. In the north, an international record will be achieved: by connecting with Monza, Milan will be the first city connected by subway with the capital of another province.
In the always complex cause-effect equation that follows the development of transport in the north of Milan, construction also enters as a key factor. A simple view of a map of Milan shows that the area north of the Duomo has developed to the point that the historic center of Milan is now located geographically in the southern half of the city. A process that has not stopped, on the contrary
New districts and modern renovations of the city interest mainly this area, both in the city itself and in the suburbs and pointing straight to the closest suburbs. A flagship is certainly Porta Nuova district, the new City with skyscrapers that have been changing the skyline of Milan.
The Bicocca area has been enhanced for decades, while another example of investments in the north area is the so called Scalo Farini, in which the recovery of over 400,000 m² of existing buildings is planned, with the area that will be redesigned to host structures with reduced or no environmental impact. Still to the north, first the Isola (“the Island”) district and, more recently, NoLo (North of Loreto), are becoming the new poles of attraction for the city’s creativity. The development of the city therefore continues especially along its north-west axis, from Farini airport to Bovisa, up to the former Expo 2015 show areas.
Leaving aside the timeless mountain tourism, it is certainly the water that, among many other reasons, pushes the Milanese to move more towards the north of their region rather than the very attractive area south of the Oltrepò Pavese. Five large lakes (Garda, Maggiore and Lugano shared with other regions and Iseo and Como entirely in Lombardy), more than eighty smaller lakes and more than 200 lidos: even if Lombardy is not touched by the sea, water is the main protagonist of the landscape. Water that, for the out-of-town trip, is mostly sweet.
The lovely villages and the perfect combination of nature, history, culture, food and wine and traditions make the lakes of Lombardy a popular tourist destination. Perfect for a relaxing vacation to be lived at a slow rate, or for a quick excursion outside the metropolis, with many surprising destinations to discover, with a special link between Milan and Lake Como.
So why do the Milanese always head north? For the beauties of the locations, because the proximity to the mountains that makes the air more breathable or because Milan has its head in Italy but the heart in Europe. And every occasion is perfect for giving in to the city’s ancestral attraction for what is beyond the Alps.
LAURA LIONTI
(Original article by Carlo Chiodo)
