Milan of the Games: A City in Constant Reinvention

“In Milan, things move faster than elsewhere.” With the 25th Milan–Cortina Winter Olympic Games approaching, Kipar highlights the city’s capacity for radical change, portraying it as a true urban laboratory.

The Lombard capital has once again been ranked Italy’s most livable city, an attractive destination to be explored beyond its well-known landmarks, through its more hidden and evolving neighborhoods. The architect revisits his early work at Parco Nord, the first emblem of Milan’s transformation. Here, he says, ideas could be reshaped: “Milan opens its doors to everyone. But you have to walk through them on your own.”

He also underscores the effectiveness of the international Green Rays model, conceived to create continuity and strengthen connections between the historic center and the outskirts. Along these green corridors, a series of projects encourages pedestrians and cyclists to rediscover urban nature. Parco Portello stands out as a symbol of change and of the city’s post-industrial transformation.

While public discontent remains widespread, Kipar remains optimistic, envisioning a vast metropolitan area in which Milan and its surrounding provinces merge, connected by even longer and more ambitious “green lines.” In this context, the Winter Olympics become an opportunity to expand the city’s vision and transform the entire region into a city of the future.