Milano was the first Western metropolis affected by the virus. The municipality is promoting its recovery with green transition policies, popularized via the Milano MIX media campaign. In fact, Italy now has a brand-new Ecological Transition Ministry and Milano is among the European cities that are forerunners in laying the foundations for the post-Covid economy, with greener mobility and unflagging international real estate investment, as told by the New York Times in an article last week. Milano will host between September 30 and October 2 the UN Climate Change Pre-Conference PreCOP26 , which will be preceded by Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition a 3-day event bringing together climate activists from all over Europe, including, it is rumored, Greta Thunberg.

In an industrial archeology zone beyond the tracks of the Bovisa station, lies an area called the Drop (la Goccia) for its shape. Abandoned factories and gas works dominate a vast, largely uninhabited area with tall trees, which sits next to the new subsidiary of the Polytechnic University of Milan, which has here its design, energy, and aerospace engineering departments. A recent agreement with the Municipality of Milan calls for the urban renewal of the whole area, which will be transformed into a green park of innovation. Design and engineering students of all nations will finally have an apt green zone where they can take a break and discuss their ideas and blueprints.

In spite of the pandemic, Milano remains an air transport hub, attracting international travelers. They might be glad to know that the SEA city airport of Linate and the international airport of Malpensa have both received the highest qualification by Airport Carbon Accreditation 2019-2020 for their efforts to decarbonize operations. The objective of carbon-neutrality is in sight for the two air access gates to Milano, part of the overall effort of the air travel industry to reduce its climate-adverse emissions which is not abating because of Covid-19.