As Town Councillor and President of the City Expo 2015 Committee, I am pleased to personally welcome the readers of “Where Milan” to our city.

Historically speaking, Milan is a city boasting a tradition of indefatigable optimism and integrity. And, it is based on this tradition that Expo, whose underlying theme is devoted to the serious concerns of feeding the planet and sustainable development, aims to act as a driving force for our national and regional economy and represent, to the best of its abilities, its outstanding qualities and solutions, in an attempt to address this demanding, complex subject.

The prestige of Italy’s culinary tradition is renowned and appreciated throughout the world: its cuisines, its regional products, its biodiversity and the health of its people and animals are all a part of the Italian culture of good living and good food; an ingredient of excellence stemming from centuries spent honing farmers’ skills, refining production methods and improving agricultural management methods, not to mention the choices made by the food industry and our commercial distribution system.

With the advent of Expo 2015, Milan intends to work not only towards fostering the growth of the country but also to being Italy’s #1 ambassador throughout the world, thus reappropriating itself of its role as one of Europe’s largest metropolises and developing a project of eco-sustainability with a view to shortly becoming a “green city” to all intents and purposes. We are also working towards upgrading one of our most important historical districts, namely “I Navigli”, Milan’s network of canals, by proposing a vast architectural requalification of the area not only in terms of urban planning but also in terms of social and cultural aspects. Thanks to “Le Vie d’Acqua” project, we will also be able to follow the canals, in discovery of the 22 km of cycling tracks, green spaces and waterways, an integral part of the “soft mobility” network that will cross the display site of Expo Milano 2015.

Those visiting Milan, already renowned throughout the world as “the” capital of Fashion and Design, will thus have a chance not only to discover a city that has always welcomed generations of immigrants but also one that boasts an unparalleled work ethic, an inherent part of this fast-paced metropolis where efficiency and creativity are big business.

www.expo2015.org

– RUGGERO GABBAI
Town councillor,
president of the city expo 2015 committee