Milazzo Harbour Project: Pier Regeneration Plan and Cable Car Scheme

This urban regeneration project for the city of Milazzo, Sicily was initiated by the Cittá di Milazzo under the European Union PIST-PISU (Piani integrati di sviluppo territorial & Piani integrati di sviluppo urbano) programme in 2010. It entailed two related urban design proposals: one for a decommissioned military pier and one that connected the historical Castello di Milazzo and the city’s western beaches. Both were vital to the future economy of the city. The primary research questions addressed by the project were: How can new urban connections and relationships be structured? How can the city’s waterfront be revitalised? How can the economic life of the city be extended into the winter months, and what are the pedagogical values of involving students in real projects? The project started with a five-day design workshop in Milazzo in February 2010, in which six postgraduate students from the University of Westminster participated. This concluded with a short presentation of sketch urban propositions. The London and Messina offices of Urban Future Organization, led by Andrew Yau, continued to develop the work with close dialogue with the city administration. The project was awarded an Education Award from Quadrante di Architettura in Italy in September 2010.