News & Events

A study conducted by SUR Lab within the MUSA project highlights the role of university campuses as drivers of urban regeneration. Based on a survey of 4,000 respondents in Milan, the research shows that safety, green spaces and pedestrian areas are among the most valued benefits generated by campus-led urban transformation.

At the Biodiversity session of Pianeta 2030 – Il Festival, organised by Corriere della Sera, SUR Lab Director Edoardo Croci discussed the multiple ecosystem services that urban parks provide and their contribution to climate resilience, biodiversity, and citizens’ well-being. Drawing on research conducted in Milan, he highlighted the environmental, economic and social value generated by green infrastructure and presented Boscoincittà as a pioneering example of urban nature restoration and community engagement.

In an interview with ANSA on the occasion of World Environment Day 2026, SUR Lab Director Professor Edoardo Croci highlighted the need to complement climate mitigation with adaptation strategies. He emphasised that nature-based solutions can help cities become more resilient to extreme weather events while generating environmental, social, and economic value.

In a new interview with Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor, Professor Edoardo Croci, SUR Lab Director at Bocconi University, discusses the transformative role of university campuses in contemporary cities. Drawing on SUR Lab research covering 115 international case studies, the interview highlights the environmental, social, and economic impacts and spillovers generated by university campuses, with a specific focus on Milan and the perceptions of local communities.

The special series "Cities in transition" of Will Media’s Città podcast is produced in collaboration with Bocconi University’s SUR Lab, within the MUSA project. This episode explores how cities can redesign spaces and processes to advance the climate transition. The discussion focuses on participatory design, the New European Bauhaus, and lessons from Leuven, Milan and Valencia.

A new article published by Il Sole 24 Ore and Radiocor examines the urgent need for a national legal framework on urban regeneration in Italy. The article highlights how outdated planning legislation and fragmented regional rules are generating uncertainty, litigation, and uneven practices. Professor Miriam Allena of Bocconi University contributes a legal perspective on the risks of relying on derogations and case-by-case negotiations.
 

SUR Lab’s contribution to Il Sole 24 Ore examines impact measurement as a key challenge in urban regeneration. It introduces the SUR Atlas, a repository of over 60 global case studies showing strong environmental, social, and economic outcomes. Tania Molteni highlights the lack of a shared urban-scale framework. The ESG Urban Track, developed within MUSA, is proposed to address this gap.

On Monday, 13 April, Bocconi University hosted the presentation of Right or privilege? Housing needs and local housing policies, a volume exploring Italy’s housing crisis through the lenses of inequality, welfare and local governance. The discussion with the authors and invited discussants highlighted how housing can no longer be treated as a marginal issue, but as a structural dimension of social justice and urban sustainability. The event, organised in collaboration with IFEL and INAPP, offered a timely opportunity to reflect on how fairer and more inclusive cities can be built.

A public event in Milan will explore Italy's growing housing crisis by presenting the book “Housing: right or privilege?”. Bringing together academics and practitioners, the discussion will address inequalities, urban transformation, and policy responses. The debate will be coordinated by Prof. Edoardo Croci, SUR Lab Director at Bocconi University.