milan’s initiative aimed at architects & designers to help develop social-distancing solutions – Designboom

italy has suffered one of the deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks in the world and has endured europes longest lockdown. may 4th marked the first day of phase 2, shedding a little light into a society in desperate need of it. to help with the transition, thecity of milan has launched a new campaign called a new start. one step at a time inviting citizens to respect the rules in the gradual reopening of the city. the northern italian city, which has announced an ambitious plans to reduce car use, will also launch a new initiative aimed at architects and designers, asking for ideas that envision a safe back to normal or new normal city.

the YESMILANO campaign is part of a creative initiative where italian singer ghali invites the milanese to face the end of the lockdown with caution, awareness and serenity

milan, the financial capital of italy, is also known for its forward-thinking and design-oriented attitude. since the crisis started, italian creatives and companies alike have changed their usual doings and transformed their efforts in order to help the country face the crisis. some examples include fashion giant prada producing medical overalls and masks for healthcare personnel and carlo ratti building emergency hospitals from shipping containers. engineers turned a decathlon snorkeling mask into a respirator while the maker community 3D-printed multipurpose tools designed to slow the spread of the virus.

we must be careful. but not afraid. we are masked, not blindfolded, says the singer

now that people are allowed to go out, the commune di milano is asking designers and architects to envision solutions to help citizens safely transition into phase 2 one that asks for the use of personal protection and social distancing. projects should include practical solutions that allow business to stay afloat with citizens being safe. that means spacers to ensure the social distance measurements, separators for restaurants and even new floor plan developments among others.

this is the phase in which we understand the value of freedom. together we are more human than ever before.

in recent weeks many professionals and companies have offered to make their skills available to the city to face the emergency together, wrote cristina tajini, milans councillor for commerce, on her tumblr page. during thursdays meeting, we decided to start a public consultation aimed at planners, designers, and architects to roll out of their ideas: from spacers to signs that manage access, passing through new furnishings and innovative solutions that optimize the outdoor space, to the layout of markets, shops, public businesses and covered public spaces, in order to guarantee distance, without sacrificing conviviality.

these final verses describe the spirit, the attention and care required for milans return to the new normality

there will be no time limit to submit proposals, the invitation will remain open for the duration of the emergency, she concludes. the projects will be periodically evaluated, discussed and inserted into a virtual catalog that can be consulted free of charge by traders and operators, through the institutional channels of the municipality of milan. in the next few days we will publish the notice, meanwhile start thinking about it!

stay tuned as we will share the news once more information is available.

anew start. one step at a time

project info:

name: a new start. one step at a time

directed by: davide gentile

with: ghali, ida marinelli, thora keita, giada lanzotti, marco mazzei

created by: TBWA italy group

chief creative officer: nicola lampugnanicreative director and copywriter: sara ermoli + ghaliart director: tommaso espinosacopywriter: manuel bonardi

production: a tapelessfilm

produced by: daniele gentiliexecutive producer: luca legnanidirector of photography: alessandro ubaldieditor: matteo motzocostumes: sara costantinimake up: silvia murciano

music by: a.carnevali, fm ruffert, m.pozzi, n.barozzi

with the special collaboration: SMEN

juliana neira I designboom

may 09, 2020

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milan's initiative aimed at architects & designers to help develop social-distancing solutions - Designboom