Living and Learning: A New Identity for Student Housing …
103
well as its morpho-techno-typological traits, the residence represents the best qualities for a field trial. The choice is determined by the heavy social and territorial
problems of Gallaratese,
5 confirmed by its inclusion among the five areas of the
competition “Bando alle periferie” fostered by the Municipality of Milano in 2017.
In this scenario, Newton residence introduces 258 students from 20 different
nationalities, becoming an integral part of the urban fabric—on average, students live
in the district for more than one year. The students represent a micro-community, in
some respects bound together by the same problems of the local community—difficulties of integration and cultural comprehension, linguistic barriers, distance from
home—in others characterized by original traits—high cultural profile, belonging to
a young and homogeneous age range. If not properly considered and treated, this
resource risks becoming a negative factor for the population and the urban environment, fostering undesirable processes such as “studentification”.
6
In order to avoid this situation, the research group focuses on the definition of
an innovative multidisciplinary and multi-scale strategy, able to foster a reciprocity
among academic knowledge, technical apparatus and local fragilities, fostering a
shared environmental and social atmosphere as the condition for promoting a sense
of belonging for individuals to their urban context and local community. According to
international studies and experimentations (Ferrante 2012; Hassan et al. 2012; Khajehzadeh and Brenda 2016; Kader 2017), this approach could produce significant
consequences for urban territories, also in view of the participation and sensibilization of local people on urgent topics such as social integration, environmental
sustainability, food education, waste reduction, sustainable mobility (Fig. 3).
7
5 “Gallaratese San Leonardo” District (corresponding to NIL—Local Identity Unit 65) has a population of 31,481 units (source: Municipality of Milano, Piano Servizi, rev. 2016) and characterized
by the presence of elderly residents (35.3% against the average of 23.7% in the whole city) with
a significant percentage of over-85-year-olds. The impact of foreigner citizens is relatively low
(8.8% against 18.8%), even if it increases among underaged people (22%). In particular, the urban
area close to the residence, including ALER housing in Bolla Street, is characterized by strong
degradation, with social conflicts, illegal occupation of apartments, lack of health facilities, sport
and educational services, and infrastructures (Piano dei Servizi of PGT of Milano).
6 According to the literature on gentrification (Borlini and Memo 2008; Semi 2015), “studentification” represents a recent phenomenon, characterized by speculative trends in local rental markets,
changes in the commercial activities and services in favor of students’ needs, processes of marginalization of old citizens.
7 As demonstrated by a number of examples: Stanford University (Sustainable Stanford), Harvard
(Water Taste Test, Food Better, Mount Trashmore), Ball State (Energy Action Team, Dinner Dark,
America Recycles Day Party), Yale (Sustainable Yale), Lausanne University (VolteFace, Troc-oPole, Carrot City), University of York (Fairtrade), University of Melbourne (Bokashi Bucket). All
these actions started from the idea of “sustainable campus” (https://www.international-sustainablecampus-network.org/), using student housing facilities to foster a dialogue between university and
local urban environments (Radder and Han 2009).
103
well as its morpho-techno-typological traits, the residence represents the best qualities for a field trial. The choice is determined by the heavy social and territorial
problems of Gallaratese,
5 confirmed by its inclusion among the five areas of the
competition “Bando alle periferie” fostered by the Municipality of Milano in 2017.
In this scenario, Newton residence introduces 258 students from 20 different
nationalities, becoming an integral part of the urban fabric—on average, students live
in the district for more than one year. The students represent a micro-community, in
some respects bound together by the same problems of the local community—difficulties of integration and cultural comprehension, linguistic barriers, distance from
home—in others characterized by original traits—high cultural profile, belonging to
a young and homogeneous age range. If not properly considered and treated, this
resource risks becoming a negative factor for the population and the urban environment, fostering undesirable processes such as “studentification”.
6
In order to avoid this situation, the research group focuses on the definition of
an innovative multidisciplinary and multi-scale strategy, able to foster a reciprocity
among academic knowledge, technical apparatus and local fragilities, fostering a
shared environmental and social atmosphere as the condition for promoting a sense
of belonging for individuals to their urban context and local community. According to
international studies and experimentations (Ferrante 2012; Hassan et al. 2012; Khajehzadeh and Brenda 2016; Kader 2017), this approach could produce significant
consequences for urban territories, also in view of the participation and sensibilization of local people on urgent topics such as social integration, environmental
sustainability, food education, waste reduction, sustainable mobility (Fig. 3).
7
5 “Gallaratese San Leonardo” District (corresponding to NIL—Local Identity Unit 65) has a population of 31,481 units (source: Municipality of Milano, Piano Servizi, rev. 2016) and characterized
by the presence of elderly residents (35.3% against the average of 23.7% in the whole city) with
a significant percentage of over-85-year-olds. The impact of foreigner citizens is relatively low
(8.8% against 18.8%), even if it increases among underaged people (22%). In particular, the urban
area close to the residence, including ALER housing in Bolla Street, is characterized by strong
degradation, with social conflicts, illegal occupation of apartments, lack of health facilities, sport
and educational services, and infrastructures (Piano dei Servizi of PGT of Milano).
6 According to the literature on gentrification (Borlini and Memo 2008; Semi 2015), “studentification” represents a recent phenomenon, characterized by speculative trends in local rental markets,
changes in the commercial activities and services in favor of students’ needs, processes of marginalization of old citizens.
7 As demonstrated by a number of examples: Stanford University (Sustainable Stanford), Harvard
(Water Taste Test, Food Better, Mount Trashmore), Ball State (Energy Action Team, Dinner Dark,
America Recycles Day Party), Yale (Sustainable Yale), Lausanne University (VolteFace, Troc-oPole, Carrot City), University of York (Fairtrade), University of Melbourne (Bokashi Bucket). All
these actions started from the idea of “sustainable campus” (https://www.international-sustainablecampus-network.org/), using student housing facilities to foster a dialogue between university and
local urban environments (Radder and Han 2009).