Auna di Sotto (BZ), 14 July 2026 – A concrete action in climate adaptation, urban regeneration, and returning public space to the community. This is the goal of "La Scuola Oasi" (The Oasis School), the project set to transform the school square on Via Sacchini in Milan through a major de-paving and renaturalization effort. Promoted by Legambiente Festambiente APS and Legambiente Lombardia, the initiative is supported by A. Loacker S.p.A., which chose to celebrate its centenary by investing in a high-impact environmental and social project.
The administrative framework enabling this intervention is a donazione modale (a public-private partnership mechanism involving a conditional gift), allowing Legambiente and Loacker to donate the project design and physical works to the City of Milan. The City of Milan will then be responsible for planting the designated plant species and taking charge of ongoing maintenance.
The initiative represents an innovative model of cooperation among public institutions, non-profit organizations, professionals, and private enterprises to tackle one of the primary challenges of contemporary cities: countering the effects of the climate crisis in urban areas while enhancing the quality of public spaces and neighborhood livability.
"La Scuola Oasi" stems from a participatory process involving the school community of the "Q. Di Vona - T. Speri" Comprehensive Institute, local associations united under the Patto di Collaborazione per Via Sacchini (Collaboration Pact for Via Sacchini), and local residents. Together, they gathered needs, ideas, and proposals to envision a greener, more inclusive, and resilient square.
The project entails removing significant portions of asphalt and impermeable surfaces to make way for new green spaces designed to improve the local urban microclimate, to encourage rainwater absorption, to mitigate the urban heat island effect, and to boost biodiversity within a densely urbanized environment.
Beyond environmental goals, the project is driven by strong community-focused objectives, offering alternatives to social isolation and creating spaces that foster intergenerational connection. A central, symbolic feature of the new layout will be a green amphitheater hill designed as a hub for meeting, learning, and socializing. It will host outdoor educational activities, cultural initiatives, and community gatherings for students, families, and residents.
The architectural and landscape design was developed by Quinzii Terna Architecture and Parco Nord Milano, who aimed to integrate nature, education, and community participation—transforming a simple school square into a green infrastructure serving the entire neighborhood. Legambiente Lombardia APS is coordinating the construction, while post-completion climate monitoring will be conducted by researchers from eERG (End-use Efficiency Research Group), a laboratory within the DAStU department at Politecnico di Milano.
Following the completion of civil works and de-paving, the City of Milan will plant approximately 700 specimens of herbaceous, shrub, and tree species included in the design. The selected plants are characterized by high adaptability to climate change and low water requirements, ensuring both operational sustainability and lasting environmental benefits.
"La Scuola Oasi" aims to be far more than a single urban redevelopment project: it is intended as a replicable model for public space transformation, demonstrating how nature can reclaim a central role in cities and contribute tangibly to climate resilience and livable, cohesive communities.
"For our 100th anniversary, we didn't want to just look back at the past, but to leave a positive mark for the future," stated Andreas Loacker, Vice President of A. Loacker S.p.A. "As a Benefit Corporation, we strongly believe that private companies must do their part. We feel the responsibility to create value not only through our products, but also through projects that improve people's lives. Scuola Oasi stems from a deep awareness: coming from the mountains, we know how fundamental nature is to our well-being. That is why we chose to contribute to urban greenery, turning an urban space into a more livable place for children, families, and the wider community."
"The climate crisis requires cities to rethink their relationship with nature and public space," declared Angelo Gentili of Legambiente's national secretariat. "Interventions like this demonstrate that it is possible to transform asphalted, impermeable surfaces into vibrant places capable of generating environmental, social, and educational benefits. This project represents a concrete example of climate adaptation and participatory urban regeneration, built through collaboration between institutions, non-profits, professionals, and businesses committed to investing in the common good. Our hope is that this will become a replicable model in many other urban contexts across the country, helping accelerate the ecological transition we urgently need."
"Milan was able to welcome a project like this thanks to its well-established capacity for public space regeneration," added Barbara Meggetto, President of Legambiente Lombardia. "The increasing frequency of heatwaves reminds us that a greater presence of nature in cities can no longer be considered an option, but the rule. Interventions like the one underway in Via Sacchini—quick and cost-effective once standardized—should be expanded to all spaces already freed from parking and returned to people, while also planning similar actions in areas where tactical urbanism has not yet arrived."
In a city increasingly exposed to the impacts of the climate crisis, "La Scuola Oasi" represents a tangible investment in the future: a space where nature, education, and community converge, proving that ecological transformation can begin in the everyday spaces experienced by children, families, and citizens.
