Master's Portfolio

Selected works of Urban Planning, Spatial design and Policy making projects. [2018-2020] Politecnico di Milano, Milan / Architectural Association, UK

Thein Manimekalai Sowrirajan

thein@nonurbanism.com

B. Arch, M.Sc (Planning)

Resume Thein Manimekalai Sowrirajan thein@nonurbanism.com | Milan, Italy EXPERIENCE FOUNDER, CEO Mar 2020- Ongoing Nonurbanism, Non-profit organization.

Leading the strategic thinking and implementation of 6 projects with 15 dynamic members of the organization, including drafting a structured approach and liaising with international collaborators. Creating a methodology to pick nonurban ideas and monitor progress, creating a brand around the strategy and organizing periodic meetings with the nonurban community.

CIT Y PLANNING INTERN Sep 2019- Jan 2020 Comune di Milano, Municipality 03, Milan; Government Organization; Worked directly under Councilwoman Antonella Brusseze in the Urban Planning, Public Space, Green, Environment and Mobility department.

Urban Planner.

Architect.

Social Entrepreneur.

SKILLS Industry:

Planning Architectural Design Policy Analysis Design Research International Development Proposal Writing Land use Planning Non-profit management Teaching

Tools and Technologies: Adobe Creative suite Autodesk Building suite SketchUp Microsoft Office QGIS, ArcGIS

Interpersonal Skills:

Qualitative Research Public Speaking Collaborative problem solving Teamwork

Other Skills:

Non-Profit consulting Rural studies Ethnography

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• Developed and coordinated public participation through a variety of community involvement techniques including: open houses, focus groups, stakeholder meetings, workshops, and charrettes in neighborhoods of Municipality 3.

• Collected, managed, and mapped data using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for 48 projects of which 30% were realized, 40% in progress and 30% under study.

• Performed financial and economic impact analysis to assess feasibility of new development projects including 3 new parks and 2 tactical urbanism projects.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT Jul 2019- Aug 2019 Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority; Government Organization; • Provided technical and analytical support to the Department and the City including field surveys and census data analyses.

STUDENT FELLOW Jan 2015- Jun 2015 Observer Research Foundation; Think Tank; Worked with Mr Gautam Kirtane, Senior research fellow and a chevening scholar who has worked with the World Bank and other reputed institutions.

• Executed field studies on the coast of Mumbai stretching up-to 25 km covering three colonial forts, 200 communities and 3 colonial buildings.

• Communicated the acquired data through digital stories and maps in national conferences and community settings.

ASSISTANT LECTURER Jan 2017- Dec 2017 Rajalakshmi School of Architecture; Academic Institution • Prepared and delivered lectures to undergraduate students on topics of history of architecture, rural studies and thesis research proposals. Held weekly office hours to provide tutoring, counseling, or assistance to students in need.

EDUCATION POLITECNICO DI MILANO, Milan, Italy. Sep 2018- Dec 2020 Masters in Science, Urban Planning and Policy Design; Graduated 110 cum laude • Published “ The mosaic approach as a tool to facilitate participatory planning with children: Insights from Milan, Italy” in International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education.

HIGHER SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS, St Petersburg, Russia. Jan 2020- Jun 2020 Erasmus Extra EU Mobility program, Urban Governance ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION, London, United Kingdom. Jan 2018- July 2018 Spring Semester Program , Architecture and Urbanism MEASI ACADEMY OF ARCHITECTURE, Chennai India. Aug 2011- Apr 2016 Bachelor’s in Architecture, GPA 8.5/10, Best Thesis, University Rank holder.

DESIGN PORTFOLIO

Table of contents 5 - 11

DESIGNING FOR SOCIAL FACTORS Morelia, mexico

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REGENERATIVE DESIGN Gratosoglio, Italy

20-25 PUBLIC ANALYSISETHNOGRAPHY STUDY Passante, Italy

26-35 CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND DESIGN Triulzo Superiore, Italy

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SELF ORGANIZATIONFRAMEWORK DESIGN Theni, India

42-49 MASTERPLANNINGRESOURCE ALLOCATION Milan, Italy

50-53 PLACEMAKINGDESIGN AND EXECUTION Via Reni, Italy

DESIGN PORTFOLIO

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TITLE YEAR

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STUDIO LOCATION

Designing for social factors A proposal to highlight the issues of rough sleeping and defensive architecture in heritage and tourist destinations of the world with a case

Historic Center, Morelia, Mexico

Keywords:

Social Inclusion; Defensive Architecture; Rough Sleepers; Architectural Heritage; Mexico.

MORELIA ,MEXICO

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RESEARCH PROMPT The professors encouraged students to explore the city of Morelia from two perspectives: The perspective for modernization of the historical UNESCO sites as well as opportunities for transformation of the adjacent industrial area.

“Vandalism, disrespect for the city’s history are symptoms of a bigger underlying cause Poverty, homelessness and defensive architecture.”

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MORELIA, MEXICO

BRIEF The unit students were encouraged to explore their own cause within the context of Morelia.

As an outcome of the progress, and the ongoing dialogue between two- and three-dimensional representation,the brief was to reveal unpredictable qualities to inspire our design narratives.

CHALLENGE The city of Morelia, though fascinating with a harmonious unity of buildings of pink stone, it was often vandalized. However, vandalism, disrespect for the city’s heritage were symptoms of a bigger underlying issue that was poverty, homelessness and defensive architecture within city premises.

GOALS The goal was to take up the issue of homelessness and devise a way that the public needs were met while still enabling architectural propositions to respond to a larger narrative relating to the aesthetic, programmatic and socio-economic capacities of the city and its infrastructure.

UNIQUE SOLUTION The solution resulted in a network of infrastructure block, solids of city gates, that allows for the extension of city’s rhythm as architectural elements into the corridor that will be developed as a tourist attraction and accommodate within itself homes for rough sleepers, hidden in plain sight.

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Nodes vs Pathways in comparison to the built area of Morelia City.

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EDGES Edges of the Historic limit A Study to analyse the access points into the city Morelia Thein MS, Visiting School Architectural Association

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Historic center of Morelia

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01 Industrial

development

While identifying the worker hubs and addressing the need for labor for the industrial plants about to be developed, the government suffered to provide housing for the common labor who often retort to rough sleeping.

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Housing in Morelia

The housing condition in morelia, despite being expensive is worsening with incoming migrants who live on streets, underground tunnels due to the industrial expansion they have been having close to the historic city

03 Public and green

spaces in Morelia

With the historic center as an UNESCO heritage site, the city office is under immense pressure to ensure the safety and maintain the public and green spaces without altering its plans to accommodate for the incoming labor.

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MORELIA, MEXICO

04 The public vs

Private zones

The UNESCO site however is a myriad of public and private villas in varying structural capacities. It was also a strong economic driver providing the city with tourists and sustenance.

05 The Built vs The Void

To satisfy the needs of the overall economy and the public and private homeowner interests, The built and the voids were collectively deemed off-limits for the city’s poor and the homeless.

MORELIA, MEXICO

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WORKING WITH EDGES This conundrum of wishing to preserve built heritage that manifests years of art and culture and the neccessity to cater to newly migrated homeless was expressly seen among the public authorities. The public, private and the green within the city’s center were installed with defensive street furniture, blocks and social barriers that disallowed the poor to enter the heritage site. The debate can however be addressed by identifying the city’s edges where a BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement) agreement can be met between the homeless and the city’s overarching interests to be inclusive.

MORELIA, MEXICO

DESIGNING FOR SOCIAL FACTORS My design proposal began with identifying all the industrial edges of the city where adequate spatial dimensions and proximity to public parks were met unilaterally. The research through GIS Spatial analysis yielded four ideal locations where a public infrastructure (As shown in the image above) can be constructed. The infrastructure, other than easing access into the city presents a spatial program where all stakeholder interests are satisfied. For example, besides providing homes for the homeless, it maintains the architectural language of the pink city, provides extra green and activity spaces for all public.

MORELIA, MEXICO

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PEOPLE

Vision Board Studio

PERSONALIZE

ARTSY

REBUILD

NECT N O C E R

COMMUNICATE WITH BUILT

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GRATOSOGLIO, MILAN

Regenerative design A project proposal to regenerate a peripheral neighborhood with a new identity, community life and altered outlook within society.

Piazza Kaleidoscope , Gratosoglio, Milan.

Keywords:

Aspiring neighborhoods; Creative economy; Revitalization; Marketing and Management planning GRATOSOGLIO, MILAN

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01 Neighborhood â‰

Future prospects

We started the project wanting to change the mindset of the youth, that they can change their course of the future. They get judged because of where they come from, the periphery.

How can poverty cycle be broken?

THE PROBLEM STARTING POINT FAMILY LIVING IN LOW INCOME

FAMILY EXPENSES EXCEED WAGES

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The current condition

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EC F B LE RISK OOME H

THE POVERTY TRAP

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SS MI NG

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CA HEANNO LT H

D OR F F OD T A FO Y

MENT PLOY EM CTS D E C E O SP

TROUBLE MAINTAINING HOME

POVERTY

POOR CHILD DEVELOPMENT

DEGRADATION

H ALT POOR HE

O

Through interviews conducted with local actors, adult residents expressed a strong discontent with the state of the neighborhood and a possessed a sense of hopelessness for its future contributing further towards the unbreakable poverty cycle.

UNMOTIVATED YOUTH

AREAS OF INTERVENTION ex

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CREATIVE URBAN VILLAGE NEXUS

CREATIVE PEOPLE

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CREATIVE SPACES

proposal

The proposal of creative urban village ecosystem are creative spaces, creative people and a creative economy.

These elements interweave as part of a nexus, serving as the foundation of the neighborhood revival framework.

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03 Framework

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CREATIVE ECONOMY infu

1. CREATE inclusive spaces where arts, culture and education coexist.

GRATOSOGLIO, MILAN

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new life into

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2. STIMULATE civic participation, experimentation and mobilization of new ideas.

3. NURTURE local entrepreneurship and attract creative talent.

BRIEF Gratosoglio is a peripheral neighborhood characterized with deteriorated social fabric after the mid-70’s. The economic crisis caused a sharp decline in the neighborhood’s vitality, as drug-related crime and violence began to emerge. The brief was to define regenerative design ideas. neighborhood.

CHALLENGE The problem of poverty in Gratosoglio runs very deep, pulling residents into an unbreakable poverty trap.

The youth are at the highest risk because they come to terms with their “inevitable fate” therefore losing their desire to aspire, further their education, pursue employment and other social goals.

GOALS The goal was to analyze the neighborhood through a different lens, looking past the poverty and degradation. Particularly to empower the community with sustainable organizational capacities, develop a new brand and identity and increase citizen engagement within the area.

UNIQUE SOLUTION Looking deeper behind the physical and social decay of the neighborhood, we see Gratosoglio through a different lens: as an urban kaleidoscope. Its colors and patterns come alive as they collide with each other.

Inspired by the art scene in the community- we started building on its assets.

1. IDENTIFY SPACES Map vacant and Underutilized spaces of interest

2. ESTABLISH NODES Find points of intersection to establish new landmarks

3. CREATE A CENTRAL SPINE Establish physical and visual connection between nodes

GRATOSOGLIO, MILAN

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01 Node 1:

The playscape

An area dedicated to active recreation for people of all ages with a strong focus on sports and fitness.

Programming : Sport events, Community picnics, fitness training.

Funder : Vismara Sport Association

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Node 2: The roots

A hub for practicing and aspiring artists to live, work and showcase their artwork, and a place to celebrate the community’s cultural diversity.

Programming : Cultural workshops Funder : GTA Gratosoglio, Kandinsky

03 Node 3: Piazza Kaleidoscope

A hub that will serve as a Living Lab, with hybrid learning and working spaces, serving as the heart of Gratosoglio and its community.

Programming : Performance space Funder : Chiesa S. Maria, Bar Sapoaro

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GRATOSOGLIO, MILAN

04 Node 4:

The Avenue

A commercial trail providing for shopping using the multicultural and educational assets to create a good shopping street.

Programming: Weekly Street Market Funder: Ri.Abi.La, Milan.

05 Node 5:

Stairscape

A system of plazas and actives where the youth of gratosoglio gather to attend art classes and music training.

Programming: Co-working Spaces Actors: Lo Scrigno, Communita Oklahoma, Agrivis L’Impronta, Comune.

GRATOSOGLIO, MILAN

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PHYSICAL ELEMENTS Lighting, street furniture and paving – plus ‘softening’ buildings at street level with forecourts and terraces – were designed to create spaces for people to gather and get to know each other. Restored buildings have been converted into multi-functional cultural facilities accommodating activities such as business startups, artist studios and student housing.

AREAS OF INTERVENTION The flexible framework developed was aimed at concentrating and integrating life rather than segregating it. Key to this was breaking the existing visual monotony of the housing scheme by creating identities for multi-functional spaces and connecting those spaces. To make the neighborhood readable on a human scale, we proposed a variety of solutions that foster ownership and belonging.

NON-PHYSICAL ELEMENTS The non-physical elements were suggested in the form of marketing and branding for the community. The #GratoRinato Marketing Plan will have three major responsibilities: 1. Branding and Marketing: Showcase neighborhood identity through way-finding signage, street banners, social media and local events.

2. Build Relationships: Face-to-face dialogue with local youth to figure out community needs and desires.

3. Citizen Engagement: Social media visual art competition open to youth in Gratosoglio. Winning piece will be displayed in Piazza Kaleido.

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GRATOSOGLIO, MILAN

DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS The creative urban village project adopts Lindblom’s concept of incremental planning to develop a phasing and management plan. The project is expected to be implemented within three phases: Short term (now to 2021), Medium term (2021-2026), and Long term (beyond 2026). The phasing framework consists of eight categories of which five are the main nodes of the project. The other three are of general actions which are nonphysical. Further, to ensure sustainability of the project, the actors in Gratosoglio are identified and their roles in the project outlined and submitted to authorities.

GRATOSOGLIO, MILAN

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Public spaces - Mobility An ethnography study individually conducted to analyze if stations that allow fare evasion (without strict barriers) assist for more public activity.

Reimagining the Passante, Ethnographic report. Milan, Italy

Keywords:

Mobility; Potential public spaces; Active agents; Milan; Open environments; Fare evasion PASSANTE LINE, MILAN TRANSPORT

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RESEARCH QUESTION Fare evasion is considered inherent to virtually any public transport system in the word. Beyond the question of ethics, what are the design elements that enable fare evasion? Is fare evasion only done for the purpose of mobility?

The created order is everywhere punched and torn open by ellipses, drifts of meaning: it is a sieve-order�- Michel de Certeau 22

PASSANTE LINE, MILAN TRANSPORT

BRIEF Milan has one of the highest fare evasion rates, second only to Hague with 8.0 and 9.9 respectively. In the case of Passante and especially in stations like Porta Venezia, Lancetti, Villapizzone, it is observed there are some permanent alterations in the access points.

CHALLENGE In large metropolitan public transport systems with a high degree of utilization, a completely secure system would slow down the inflow of passengers and hence reduce the capacity of the system. (Source: Fare Evasion as a result of expected utility maximization, 1993).

GOALS Fare evasion is illegal and brings about huge economic losses to the agencies reliant on them.

This research, however, tries to focus on the ethnographical conditions that tries to amplify the ‘positives’ of the provisional physical elements that ‘also’ allow fare evasion: Free access.

RESEARCH FINDINGS The conditions for ‘looseness’ directed the research to identify two preconditions or necessities that make space not just loose and more public but active. They are 1. Agents 2. A contingent layout that allows multiple functions to be carried out creating new social dynamism.

PASSANTE LINE, MILAN TRANSPORT

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PASSANTE LINE, MILAN TRANSPORT

PASSANTE LINE, MILAN TRANSPORT

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TITLE YEAR

ARTIST

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STUDIO LOCATION

Conflict management & Design A urban planning proposal aimed at resolving conflicts at an immigrant neighborhood by collecting inputs from children of the community.

The Silent Voices Of Immigrant Children Triulzo Superiore, Milan, Italy

Keywords:

Immigrant neighborhood; Mosaic Approach; Participative planning; Circular economy TRIULZO SUPERIORE, MILAN

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BRIEF The Municipality of Milan has embarked on a journey to revitalize its immigrant neighborhoods, and as part of that effort, students of the Urban Policies Design course at Politecnico di Milano were tasked with proposing solutions for revitalization of the area through empowerment, entrepreneurship and strong social inclusive principles.

CHALLENGE Triulzo Superiore major disconnect from the rest of Milan and the neighboring town San Donato Milanese has resulted in a borderland: an area that is socially excluded from the larger urban area. This in turn, has resulted in deteriorating spaces and public safety concerns and reduced economic vitality.

GOALS To propose a community Vision Plan, however, that the image of Triulzo Superiore can transform into one of an enhanced borderland, Borderland+. It has the potential to transform into a socially inclusive and adaptive zone that embraces multiculturalism on a whole new level.

UNIQUE SOLUTION The negative perception of Triulzo Superiore as solely a “borderland” must be reversed. Establishing a new sphere of influence between the transit hub and San Martino will stimulate economic development and revitalize the neighborhood - A community for people, rather than a buffer zone within a growing metropolitan region.

IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORHOOD Triulzo Superiore sits within the periphery of Milan bordering San Donato Milanese, where it once served as an important gateway into Milan but instead now is a segregated urban enclave – seemingly isolated from its surrounding context – and serving as a dumping ground for many of the contemporary city’s unwanted urban elements.

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TRIULZO SUPERIORE, MILAN

MY PROPOSAL

DATA/ RESOURCES

STAGES/PHASES

CRITICAL POINTS

PROJECT PLAN The revitalization exercise of the Triulzo superiore community project lasted a period of 6 months where multiple interventions were made . The area was studied in depth by extensive GIS analysis and physical interventions. Once the problem statement were defined as a social exclusion issue, many attempts were made to asset map, analyze gaps and produce new economies of scale and spheres of influence. The initial strategies included public participation workshops, interactions with government actors, policy analysis, phases formulation, branding, economic feasibility reports, ex-ante outcome projection and a final report that was submitted to the comune di milano and published in academic journals.

TRIULZO SUPERIORE, MILAN

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TRIULZO SUPERIORE, MILAN

TRIULZO SUPERIORE, MILAN

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nd llenge

SOCIAL EXCLUSION BORDERLAND +

SION

Recreation

of Interest Public Life

Accessibility

Economy

Livability Neighborhood

Culture

Land

ALS

ATEGIES

AREAS OF INTERVENTION : ANALYZING ASSETS AND PROPOSING STRATEGIES

“— socially inclusive and adaptive zone by revitalizing its physical and social dimensions, enhancing multiculturalism” 32

TRIULZO SUPERIORE, MILAN

FRAMEWORK: BORDERLAND + The framework consists of one mission: Transform Triulzo Superiore as a socially inclusive and adaptive zone by revitalizing its physical and social dimensions and enhancing multiculturalism and three overarching goals:

Each geared towards a different portion of the study area; six strategies; and several specific actions for each strategy. Some actions are light, cheap and quick interventions that could be easily implemented within a one year time frame, whereas others require infrastructure improvements or policy modifications, and could take several years to complete.

The problem identification process for Triulzo adopted a rather mixed approach. Grass-root information was collected and complemented with expert information available in the conventional literature. After analyzing the physical and social conditions of the area and working with residents to identify community desires, we developed a framework comprised of design and policy solutions addressing the key challenges in the community.

TRIULZO SUPERIORE, MILAN

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01 Square of

religious tolerance

Considering that a large proportion of San Martino’s residents are immigrants, especially from Egypt, through our field visits we found that many of them practice Islam. This zone, however being that it contains a Catholic church right in its center, should be an area of religious tolerance. It has been an area where residents have lived peacefully amongst each other, despite of their religious or cultural differences.

Looking towards the county of Bulgaria’s square of religious tolerance, we took this as inspiration for our own concept for the community.

Additionally, the proposal also includes establishing a bike link connecting the expressway, the neighborhood, the transit hub and the San Donato metropolitan borders to break the barriers.

02 Intervention strategies

1. Strengthen local multicultural identity 2. Create recreation opportunities 3. Enhance natural elements 4. Increase public safety 5. Stimulate economic development 6. Create a sustainable mobility district.

TRIULZO SUPERIORE, MILAN

PHASE-1

03 Phase one

Action plan

Phase 1 will comprise of light, quick and cheap interventions that can be easily implemented within the first 6 months or up to 1 year. These interventions focus primarily on revitalizing San Martino.

Parklets in Via Emilia

Painted Crosswalk Art

Sandbox

Street’s Lighting and Vegetation

Community Vegetable Garden

Green Facades

Outdoor Cinema Elements and Areas Affected Cycling Path Drainage Canal

PHASE-2

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Phase two Action plan

Phase 2 will comprise of primarily of infrastructure improvements, where it be for public safety concerns, aesthetic reasons or recreational opportunities.

These interventions will require a higher financial investment and more time to get approved.

Multipurpse Sports Field

Splash Pad

Improve the pathways connecting to and within the hub

Install Street Pavers+ Street Furniture

Bioswales on the Drainage Canal

Monthly Street Market Areas and Elements affected Phase-1 Actions Cycling Path

Upgrade the Finishing Materials of the Transit Hub

PHASE-3

05 Phase three

Temporary Exhibitions

Cultural Light Show

Cultural Festivals

Action plan

Phase 3 will have a more narrow focus on economic development, by completing the final steps in the revitalization process that will help support the area in the long-term and for subsequent inclusion.

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Local Food Retails

Areas and Elements Affected Phase-2 Actions Phase-1 Actions Cycling Path

TRIULZO SUPERIORE, MILAN

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TITLE YEAR

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RURAL INDIA

Self organization- A framework Graduate thesis project where a framework was designed to autonomously invest in rural areas called the FAIR proposal.

Framework For Autonomous Investments In Rural Areas (Fair) Rural Regions In India

Keywords:

Sustainable Finance; Rural entrepreneurship; Scalable social innovation; Equity RURAL INDIA

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LAND OWNERSHIP - EXEMPLARY CASE Property rights in India are defined in a way that on the death of farmer, the size of landholding becomes fragmented. Over time, the sub-divisions of landholding has led to people becoming landless. For a small-scale farmer for land is his only asset, this directly relates to untamed urbanization. Globally, this issue is handled by offering strategies such as land-pooling ,co-owning systems, but caste conflicts, inadequacies of local government to mobilize the entire community, I was told by many of survey respondents that such a strategy will not work in India.

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RURAL INDIA

BRIEF Gratosoglio is a peripheral neighborhood now characterized with deteriorated social fabric and desolate urban spaces. After the mid-70’s economic crisis caused a sharp decline in the neighborhood’s vitality, as drugrelated crime and violence began to emerge. The brief was to define regenerative design ideas for the neighborhood.

CHALLENGE Even though food is a societal requirement, the risks are entirely borne by the farmers in India. However, a lack of multi-stake holder initiative within the rural, or inability to see the potential within the rural has long affected the people’s trust in governments and policy implementation

GOALS The vision was to develop a agro-based development model that taps into the many social processes and unwritten laws of the rural. The specific concern was to develop informal support systems without increasing the anxieties of the farmers and to devise a strategy that happens at the small but a scalable method across the nation.

UNIQUE SOLUTION

ARTIST

The DFID sustainable framework was adapted to induce, influence and dictate my contribution where the assets were analyzed and favored towards non-economic societal impact in the short term and dependable growth efficacy for the agricultural sector, in the long term.

More concern was given to improve innovation within customary sectors and just transition, mandated within socially inclusive policies for rural areas.

RURAL INDIA

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CONTRACT PROFILES Primarily, the stakeholders were divided into seven groups to directly affect the scale, funding, barriers and the communities that can use the framework to dictate the livelihood strategies. The central cores being reverse migrants and customary farmers. The contents of the framework will begin by setting up a contract where the details of the farmland, living conditions, stables, energy production, water availability and revenue methods are discussed in detail before the contract is carried out. Under no circumstances the alliances can take on a hierarchical structure: the reverse migrants will be the enablers of access, growth and commerce and the farmers, the providers of knowledge, land and expertise.

STAGES OF IMPLEMENTATION: The implementation was suggested in four categories where most lands that are engaged in chemicalized farming are converted to practice natural / organic farming. The second step comes in great part from the enabler where he works towards improving the access to a farm’s produce and farmer’s living conditions.

The third step with a sustainable revenue generation model other than agriculture and lastly establishing a circular economy where the village is involved in a joint tax base, production and consumption sharing methodologies.

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RURAL INDIA

ENTREPRENEURIAL-ISM VS ASSISTANTIAL- ISM Traditionally, rural areas have been the focus of philanthropic investments. They are widely considered impoverished zones that need financial help, subsidies, skills training in cottage industries and communications and IT sectors. However, what this study urges is an alternative discourse on looking at new economies of scale within customary practices by exploring new waves of synergies in the rural.

RURAL INDIA

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TITLE YEAR

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STUDIO LOCATION

Master Planning Studio A 6 months project that was aimed at both macro and micro analysis of ecology, green spaces, vacant yards and mobility infrastructure of Milan.

Network of ecologies. Milan, Italy

Keywords:

Resource management, Macroeconomic research; Neighborhood design;Spatial planning.

NORTH-WEST TRANSECT, MILAN

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01 Agricultural network

The cognitive framework and overall analysis of the selected Transect are identified here at the agricultural level.

The various legend include a plethora of land uses from fertile lands to deep bio-diversity zones.

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The Hydrological network

The cognitive framework and overall analysis of the selected Transect are identified here related to hydrology.

The various legend include a plethora of hydro-based infrastructure from bridges, basins to water courses.

03 The network of built spaces

The cognitive framework and overall analysis of the selected Transect are identified here at the urban level. The various legend include a plethora of land uses from Built, industrial, airport to sport, heritage and mining uses.

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NORTH-WEST TRANSECT, MILAN

04 Built vs Void Transect level

The morphological map shows the relationship between the full and empty areas, built and unbuilt spaces.

This was used to as a reference to identify pockets for urban reuse and transformation- Focus more on the north than the south.

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Spheres of Influence

The transect besides holding many residential neighborhoods holds city’s important cultural institutions. These areas were marked as core zones of spheres of influence to adequately allocate resources on the urban fabric and subsequent public facilities.

NORTH-WEST TRANSECT, MILAN

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NORTH-WEST TRANSECT, MILAN

BRIEF The brief was aimed to acquire specific knowledge of the project territory through the observation and interpretation of the issues and contents of the ‘Farini rail yard to the Bovisa brown field’ transect in force at the regional, metropolitan and urban scale.

Vacant lots

CHALLENGE The transect encompasses important metropolitan axes, 9 neighborhoods of varying occupancy levels. At the same time, they also include systems of bigger and smaller abandoned and vacant areas, which are highly relevant for the effectiveness of territorial regeneration strategies.

GOALS

Abandoned areas

The goal was effectively measure and deliver a resource allocation framework using GIS systems and other mapping tools. The project also expected the students to address both the complexity and supra-municipal scale of contemporary Milan city without spatial compromises for neighborhoods.

UNIQUE SOLUTION The solution was devised, firstly framing and synthesizing the strategies and prevision of plans in force at the regional, neighborhood and local scale, concerning the infrastructural, environmental and settlement features. Additionally, many interpretative maps were submitted to the municipality for further research.

Transformative areas

Right Thinking beyond the rail barriers Left Understanding the network of streets, scale and rhythm

NORTH-WEST TRANSECT, MILAN

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01 Embracing the

natural pockets

Recommendation 01 - Reconnect and regenerate through green-infrastructures creating an ecological connection between the abandoned railway stations.

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Enlivening the nodes

Recommendation 02 - Think about the areas as social innovation and economic centers, to create new job positions and to harmonically dialogue with the city’s resources cultural and infrastructure.

03 Beyond rail barriers

Recommendation 03- Integrate and link railway lines in order to implement the transport connections and creating a railway system with characteristics similar to those of the subway system with many public and private opportunities

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NORTH-WEST TRANSECT, MILAN

Parco Nord Milano

Viale Zara

Via

lara

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Filip

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inuc

Bald

te

Bovisa station

Ce

Via C

le

Jenner

arlo

M3

Viale Edoardo Via

Farin i

affucci

giolo M

Via An

Villapizzone station

rto

sa

Lancetti station

Parco monte stella

Nuovo Ippodromo del Trotto

Via Cenisio

M5

ina

ess

M Via

Garibaldi station

M5

Piazzale del Cimiterio Monumentale

Pista ippica di allenamento

Via Maurizio Quadrio

M2 M5

Ippodromo del galoppo

Via

PLANS, PROGRAMS AND CONSTRAINTS- AN OVERVIEW The main recommendation focuses on the relationships the transformed areas should have with the surrounding area and with the urban context. However, Along with Accordo di Programma Scali Ferroviari (ADP), The following objectives were adapted and recommended in this proposal — particularly investing in peripheral and industrial neighborhoods where many ecological risks were highlighted ans submitted as part of this proposal. The report was concluded with an overarching stress to improve use and social conditions in old railway yards of Milan with a focus towards eliminating the barriers.

NORTH-WEST TRANSECT, MILAN

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C

TITLE YEAR

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STUDIO LOCATION

Tactical urbanism A 3 month place making and community engagement exercise I undertook while interning at the Municipality office of Milan, Italy.

Via Reni, Milan, Italy

Keywords:

Park design; Child- friendly neighborhoods; Place making; Citizen engagement; Public outreach VIA RENI, MILAN

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La Presidente del Municipio 3 Caterina Antola L’Assessora all’Urbanistica, Verde e Spazio Pubblico del Municipio 3 Antonella Bruzzese

COLORA LA STRADA:VIA RENI WORKSHOP E REALIZZAZIONE COLLETTIVA

CHALLENGE This is a project that, at low cost and with the participation of citizens and school children who are its main users, transforms an already pedestrian but anonymous stretch of road into a pleasant and playful space, where to stop and imagine being able to play “.

MERCOLEDÌ 2 OTTOBRE 2019 | 9.30

WORKSHOP

CON I BAMBINI DELLA SCUOLA

Un’occasione per giocare e decidere insieme cosa disegnare a terra

ISTRUZIONI 1

Prova!

2

Vota!

3

Decidiamo insieme

4

Colora!

BRIEF

I giochi a terra che proporremo

Quello che ti piace di più

Il gioco che realizzeremo in strada (se non piove) Divertiamoci ad usare la strada come una lavagna

MIGLIORIAMO LA NOSTRA VIA !

“Colora la strada” is part of a larger project for Piazza Guardi del Municipio 3, which envisages the redevelopment of the north side by restoring through transformation of the current skating rink in Piazza Guardi, for which I was expected by Municipality 3 to prepare a public participative questionnaire and interactive workshops for the kids.

Sketches |

GOAL This project funded and promoted by the Municipality 03, was drafted with an aim to restore the urban quality of the area and encourage new uses of the recently pedestrianized section of the street that opens up to the nursery school ( kids belonging to ages 5 and under). Additionally, this was planned to be done involving all the kids who were enrolled in the nursery school. Thus, an interactive workshop was conducted with the kids to vote for their favorite outdoor game and extrapolated onto the street. The preferred games were then scaled up, drafted directly on to the road and painted with beautiful colors and patterns.

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VIA RENI, MILAN

UNIQUE SOLUTION The unique solution was arrived at by involving all the stakeholder involved in using the small stretch of road in via reni.

Over a period of 5 days, I got to know every parent, neighbor, senior citizen living in and around via reni. We as planning and development professionals discarding all our previously acquired theories and methods, spent quality time with the residents and designed the project based entirely on stakeholder inputs. It enabled us to deliver a busy, vibrant, engaging street pocket that i see being enjoyed everyday on my way to work.

VIA RENI, MILAN

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www.nonurbanism.com

Selected works of Urban Design, Planning and Policy projects. [2018-2020] Politecnico di Milano / Architectural Association

Thein Manimekalai Sowrirajan

thein@nonurbanism.com | Milan, Italy 54

STUDIO LOCATION

B. Arch, M.Sc (Planning)