Urban grounds for sustainable reclamations: the case study of Milan Metropolitan Area

Urban development and anthropic activity left a contaminated heritage in the urban system, challenging the regeneration of today’s leftover polluted areas. These spaces are usually characterized by abandoned and degradation mainly because of the high cost and bureaucratic complexity of their recovery. The research aims to analyze the relationship between soil health and remediation processes in the Milan Metropolitan Area (MMA) since, due to the past industrial activity of the region, it showcases one of the highest numbers of remediation proceedings (both open and closed) in Italy. In particular, the focus is discussing which areas are most feasible for applying phytoremediation techniques, a sustainable remediation approach that could grant, in addition to soil decontamination, the enhancement of urban ecosystems, providing new green spaces and ecosystem services (ES), promoting new good practices of regeneration and restoration. Keywords: urban leftovers, brownfields, sustainable remediations, phytoremediation, soil regeneration