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

UPDATE 05/14/2020: the initiative is now online and it invites architects, designers and creatives to rethink public spaces so that they comply with the city’s new safety rules while ensuring social distancing without sacrificing conviviality.

there is no deadline — the invitation will remain open to italians and foreigns alike for the duration of the emergency. projects will be evaluated periodically, discussed, and published on a virtual catalog that can be consulted by anyone free of charge.

‘what we want to achieve is a catalog of projects and ideas, aimed particularly at small and medium-sized companies, which facilitate collaboration between private subjects and, in particular, between creatives, designers, planners and traders,’ says cristina tajani, councilor for labor policies, productive activities and commerce.

here’s the official announcement in italian with rules. once the document is available in english, we’ll share it.

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italy has suffered one of the deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks in the world and has endured europe’s 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, the city 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 plan to reduce car use, will soon unveil a new initiative aimed at architects and designers, asking for ideas that ensure a safe, easy and somewhat trauma-less transition.

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 began, italian creatives and companies alike have changed their usual doings and transformed their efforts in order to help the country face the emergency. 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 city of milan is asking designers and architects to create solutions that help citizens navigate phase 2 — one that asks for the use of personal protection and social distancing. projects should include practical fixes that allow business to stay afloat while ensuring the public’s safety. that means spacers that guarantee social distance measurements, separators for restaurants, and even new floor plan developments.

‘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 tajani, milan’s councillor for commerce, on her tumblr page. ‘during thursday’s 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 milan’s 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!’

 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 lampugnani
creative director and copywriter: sara ermoli + ghali
art director: tommaso espinosa
copywriter: manuel bonardi

production: a tapelessfilm

produced by: daniele gentili
executive producer: luca legnani
director of photography: alessandro ubaldi
editor: matteo motzo
costumes: sara costantini
make up: silvia murciano

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

with the special collaboration: SÄMEN