Human-Centered Urban Design through the rehabilitation of public spaces in Milans historic districts

This article analyzes adapted public spaces within the historical districts of Milan—„Vesta“and „Apple Piazza Liberty“—in the context of architectural strategies that transform the city into a human-oriented and healthy urban environment. „Urban Health“ has become one of the key priorities of contemporary architectural practice. [2] [1] Growing evidence confirms that the physical structure of buildings and public spaces directly influences human psychological, emotional, and social well-being. In this regard, Milan represents a particularly significant case study. Two distinct yet conceptually interconnected examples—“Apple Piazza Liberty”, where a historic square is reinterpreted as a contemporary urban amphitheater ( Foster + Partners, 2018) [3], and “Vesta”, a semi-public social platform located along the historic Brera street (Belingardi, 2022) —share a common architectural logic, a new architectural paradigm, respect for the cultural-historical context, spatial strategies, and a tangible impact on urban well-being. A comparative analysis of “Vesta” (designed by Stefano Belingardi) and “Apple Piazza Liberty” (designed by Foster + Partners) reveals their strong conceptual relationship with urban health, specifically within the framework of healthy peacemaking and urban well-being [4] [5]. Both projects exemplify contemporary urban approaches in which architectural concepts actively support social well-being. In both cases, spatial-volumetric structure, transparency, openness, visual and acoustic connections with nature, and location within a dense urban context create intermediate, restful indoor–outdoor spaces—a pause between the “city” and the “human.” [1] Such spaces play a crucial role in mental health by enabling psychological relief from the accelerated rhythm of urban life, fostering a sense of refuge, facilitating informal and spontaneous social interactions, and encouraging exploration and discovery. [5] The analysis demonstrates that despite differing functions (restaurant and store), both spaces are united by shared principles: human-scale design, openness, microclimatic comfort, and the promotion of social interaction. Both projects achieve a balance between history and contemporaneity, prioritizing physical, social, and mental well-being. Thus, Milan’s contemporary urban transformations are not solely the result of large-scale projects but also of the introduction of a new architectural paradigm within historical districts through small-scale public spaces that reinforce the relationship between public space, public life, and urban health (peacemaking / urban well-being). [5]