Nodi infrastrutturali accessibili. Analisi e proposte per la rigenerazione del piazzale della stazione di Rogoredo a Milano. Accessible Infrastructure Nodes: Analysis and Proposals for the Regeneration of Rogoredo Station Square in Milan.

The full accessibility of urban public space is a universal right, long recognized at the international level. Nevertheless, physical barriers, adverse microclimatic conditions, and both real and perceived urban insecurity continue to severely limit freedom of movement and access to services and infrastructure – particularly for the most vulnerable users. This paper presents the outcomes of a design-based research project conducted by the ENVI-Reg group (Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, Politecnico di Milano). The research involved a series of analyses and proposals – developed in coordination with the local administration and the Station Directorate of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana – for the substantial requalification of the Rogoredo intermodal hub in Milan (Schiaffonati et al., 2021). The station square represents an emblematic case of a public space that is effectively “not for the people,” despite serving as the interface of Milan’s third busiest railway station in terms of passenger flows. These flows are expected to increase further with the upcoming construction of the new Arena, which will host events during the 2026 Winter Olympics and subsequently major music events in the city. The square currently suffers from multiple critical issues: architectural barriers; significant conflicts between vehicular and pedestrian traffic and parking, poor public space equipment; and extremely low environmental quality due to the high degree of soil impermeability and total absence of trees. Overall, the area lacks even the most basic elements of urban decorum. The research adopts an advanced notion of “environmental accessibility”, which seeks to overcome three interrelated categories of barriers: functional, perceptual, and environmental. Site-specific analyses and surveys were conducted using a set of indicators to evaluate current performance – assessing physical and visual barriers, discomfort and insecurity factors, and elements of degradation. Based on this assessment, several design alternatives were developed. The modelling of these scenarios enabled the quantification and comparison of projected benefits and improvements using predictive simulations, parametric models, and specialized software tools (e.g. GIS, ENVI-met, DepthmapX, etc.). The results provide both a contribution to a potential technical feasibility study aimed at guiding public decisionmaking processes toward an effective and coherent regeneration of the square, and a methodological framework that can be adapted and applied to other contexts facing similar challenges. This stands in contrast to current operational practices, which often implement fragmented and limited solutions resulting from short-term initiatives by different municipal departments.