Assembling urban regeneration: The case of NoLo in Milan

The regeneration of cities lies in the middle of processes that intersect bottom-up and top-down dynamics in increasingly complex ways. The case of the partially gentrifying NoLo (North of Loreto) neighbourhood, in Milan (Italy), is emblematic from this point of view: it shows the development of a specific urban area under the impulse of contrasting dynamics in which various social actors negotiate unstable positions. The article will propose to scrutinise these tensions through an ethnographic investigation, firstly by tracing the assemblages of discourses, tools, and actors that shape the transformation of NoLo and secondly considering the interactions between some of those assemblages within two case studies: Piazza Arcobalena and Loreto Open Community project. While the former shows a local participatory process that met with institutional support (even if espousing the interests of a specific group of residents), the latter embodies a typical mega-intervention with a public-private partnership that will profoundly modify the functions and uses of one of the city's most important squares. In conclusion, the article proposes a critical review of these case studies and urban assemblages, advocating for more nuanced tools and discourses on inclusiveness and community participation in regeneration processes.