
URBAN10 / EPISODE 3
Living the Divide: Save the City or Sell It Off
Can a law reshape a city? Salva Milano was introduced to unlock construction across Milan, but quickly became a symbol of something deeper: how urban planning isbeing redefined by private interests, legal loopholes, and political urgency. This episode unpacks what happens when development accelerates at the cost of transparency, equity, and long-term vision.
Between satire, protest, andsuspended construction sites, we follow the ripple effects of a city built for speed—and ask: Who is this regeneration really for?
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Suggested readings
Baffoe, G. (2023). Neoliberal urban development and the polarization of urban governance. Cities, 143, 104668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2023.104668
Harvey, D. (1989). From managerialism to entrepreneurialism: The transformation in urban governance in late capitalism. Geografiska Annaler. Series B, Human Geography, 71(1), 3–17.
Hurricane, I. (2025). Milano horror stories. Incubi dalla rigenerazione urbana. AFA Edizioni.
Peck, J., Theodore, N., & Brenner, N. (2009). Neoliberal urbanism: Models, moments, mutations. The SAIS Review of International Affairs, 29(1), 49–66. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27000166
Serra, S. (2021). Urban planning and the market of development rights in Italy: Learning from Milan. City, Territory and Architecture, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40410-021-00133-2
Swyngedouw, E., Moulaert, F., & Rodriguez, A. (2002). Neoliberal urbanization in Europe: Large–scale urban development projects and the new urban policy. Antipode, 34(3), 542–577. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8330.00254
Le Galès, P. (2016). Neoliberalism and Urban Change: Stretching a Good Idea Too Far? Territory, Politics, Governance, 4(2), 154–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/21622671.2016.1165143
The global urban landscape: Exploring the influence of neoliberalism on cities. (2024, March 8). LSE International Development Blog. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/internationaldevelopment/2024/03/08/the-global-urban-landscape-exploring-the-influence-of-neoliberalism-on-cities/