Living Lab Rogoredo – Rail4Cities Milan Pilot
What if train stations were more than a space to pass through? What if they could become vital hubs for sustainability, neighborhood interaction, and local creativity? These were the questions that guided Living Lab Rogoredo, one of five pilot sites tested as part of Rail4Cities, a European project supported by Europe’s Rail, aiming to transform train stations into active centers for socially and environmentally sustainable urban development.
The initiative focused on Rogoredo Station in Milan, located between three urban areas: the older Rogoredo district, the new Santa Giulia development, and the residential area of Merezzate.
Between June and September 2024, STIPO Italia led the placemaking activities in collaboration with project partners BABLE, RFI, and FS Park. The objective was to contribute to the four pilot goals by hosting an activation process culminating in a full-day event. These goals included: advocating for collective creation, enhancing station activation, testing small-scale circular economy initiatives, and promoting dialogue on sustainability.
To design a program tailored to the strengths, talents, and resources of the local community, the engagement phase included site visits, neighborhood walks, stakeholder mapping, and coordination meetings with local stakeholders such as Vivi Rogoredo, Mare Culturale Urbano (Scirocco), Redo Merezzate/Hubita, and Giacimenti Urbani. Through this process, a collaborative approach emerged, with each partner contributing to the activation day in various ways, including shaping the event format, disseminating the initiative, supporting logistics, and providing technical input.
The applied methodology throughout the process drew on participatory design, tactical urbanism, placemaking, and human-centered design, with a focus on low-cost, site-specific interventions grounded in local needs and capacities.
On 21 September 2024, the full-day event took place in parallel with the inauguration of the Scirocco community hub. The event aimed to engage a broad demographic and included a variety of activities: a bookcrossing station, art workshops for children, a guided “circularity walk” led by Vivi Rogoredo, and a public quiz on sustainability and circular economy with Giacimenti Urbani. A DIY furniture workshop, utilizing recyclable cardboard provided by NaturDesign, offered hands-on engagement, while a performance by the music duo Gabbiani Fatti employed humor and storytelling to connect urban life with the concept of circularity. Last but not least, an interactive stand was also set up to collect feedback and suggestions from residents on how they would like to see their neighborhood improved.
The project engaged over 90 participants, gathered valuable input for future improvements, and strengthened connections among local actors. The modular furniture created during the event remains available for community use, with the aim of making the conversation about the circular economy and togetherness an ongoing process. Resident suggestions from the event also provided ideas for long-term improvements, including public markets, enhanced bike infrastructure, more greenery, and multifunctional public spaces around the station.
