This book explores the topic of proximity and its relations in the design of contemporary urban
fabrics and public spaces. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and reflections on the future
of cities have lately shed light on the concept of proximity which is intended as the
relationship between communities and urban functions and as relations among people built
spaces and open spaces. The proximity is a historic and fertile field of interest for American
and Northern European urban studies it is a spatial and social program seemingly surpassed by
the styles and rhythms of contemporary city life but today it is back in vogue with different
purposes. Meanwhile the action research developed by the Department of Architecture and Urban
Studies at the Politecnico di Milano for the Municipality of Milan reached its conclusion
(2018-2020). The research work focused on contextualizing the new M4 Metro line stations under
construction and jointed mobility flows and places long-range networks and local ones
boosting the idea of metro stations as regenerative urban thresholds and urban platforms for
enabling environmental sustainable settlement and active mobility systems. In other words
the action research for Milan shows how to achieve the concept of proximity in the urban design
practice in a dense stratified and complex urban context.
