Urban recycling: transforming brownfield sites into dynamic neighbourhoods

Covivio is part of this dynamic and is rehabilitating these forgotten areas to turn them into mixed and attractive neighbourhoods. In Milan, the redevelopment of Scalo di Porta Romana is a perfect example of this commitment: this large-scale project, which will host the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Village, will reconnect two historically separate districts, while creating a vibrant urban ecosystem, integrating housing, offices, shops, green spaces and modern infrastructure.

But beyond rehabilitation, how can urban regeneration be achieved in an intelligent and sustainable way? We take a look at Covivio’s approach and its emblematic projects.

Why is urban recycling essential?

Limiting land artificialisation for major environmental benefits

Regenerating derelict land is part of a sustainable development approach. It makes it possible to reduce the artificialization of land, while giving new life to neglected neighbourhoods.

By reinvesting in industrial sites that are no longer in use, Covivio is helping to :

• Limiting the artificialization of land by avoiding construction on greenfield sites
• Enhancing urban biodiversity by reintroducing green spaces and planted areas
• Optimise the energy performance of refurbished buildings by incorporating energy-saving solutions and low-carbon materials right from the design stage.

An economic and social challenge

Urban recycling is also a powerful lever for economic revitalisation. It makes it possible to :

• Improving the attractiveness of these areas by giving them back a key role in the urban fabric
• Creating new centres of activity, attractive to businesses and shops
• Promoting a social and intergenerational mix, by integrating housing, offices and living spaces within a single area

Through its regeneration projects, Covivio is demonstrating that urban recycling is not just a response to land constraints, but a genuine opportunity to design the city of tomorrow.

Covivio’s approach: regenerating with intelligence

Scalo di Porta Romana: a model of urban recycling

Located in the south of Milan, Scalo di Porta Romana is a disused former marshalling yard covering around 190,000 m². In 2020, Covivio, in partnership with Coima and Prada, won the tender for its regeneration, with the aim of transforming the area into a dynamic mixed-use district. ​

This project aims to reconnect the southern area of Milan with the city centre, creating an integrated neighbourhood that meets the current and future needs of residents, while complying with high standards of environmental sustainability.

A vast public park will be created, around which residences, offices, housing, student residences and various services will be built, ensuring a functional mix and social .

The site will also host the Olympic Village for the Milan-Cortina Winter Games in 2026. After the Games, the Village will be transformed into one of Italy’s largest student residential complexes, offering around 1,700 beds.

Also in Milan, Symbiosis and The Sign are two completed urban regeneration projects that combine energy efficiency and architectural innovation, and have given new life to lively, attractive neighbourhoods.

Innovation and sustainability at the heart of urban regeneration projects

All Covivio projects are designed with adaptability and longevity in mind. Our aim? To create buildings and neighbourhoods that can evolve with use and environmental requirements. This involves :

• Architecture designed to be mixed-use and adaptable, enabling buildings to meet future urban and environmental needs
• The integration of sustainable solutions, such as soft mobility, low-carbon materials and intelligent energy management systems

Thanks to this approach, Covivio makes urban recycling a lever for positive change for cities and their residents.

Neighbourhoods designed for tomorrow

Functional mix: living areas 24/7

Urban recycling is about more than simply rehabilitating a site: it’s about designing dynamic, multifunctional neighbourhoods. Covivio favours an integrated approach, where housing, offices and shops coexist, thus promoting :

• Continuous activity in neighbourhoods, avoiding deserted areas outside office hours
• Greater accessibility to essential services, reducing the need for long journeys
• An attractive, balanced living environment that meets users’ expectations

A user-centred approach

Every project undertaken by Covivio puts future residents and users at the heart of the process. The aim is to offer :

• Flexible spaces, capable of adapting to changing lifestyles and work patterns
• An enhanced range of services, including sports facilities, social spaces and shared mobility solutions
• A greener urban environment, incorporating green spaces and natural cooling solutions

Noème in Bordeaux is a good example of this approach: on a former industrial site until recently occupied by IBM, Covivio is developing an innovative, mixed-use, sustainable residential neighbourhood. Although this project is not a brownfield site in the strict sense of the term, it is a perfect example of the ability of urban recycling to transform existing sites into modern, integrated centres of attraction.

Urban recycling, a strategic lever for sustainable cities

By redeveloping brownfield sites and transforming existing sites into mixed-use, sustainable neighbourhoods, Covivio is proving that urban recycling is a real opportunity to redesign the city of tomorrow.

Through emblematic projects such as Scalo di Porta Romana, Symbiosis and The Sign in Milan, and Noème in Bordeaux, Covivio is demonstrating that innovation, sustainability and functional diversity are at the heart of urban transformation.

By combining expertise, strategic partnerships and environmental commitment, Covivio is establishing itself as a key player in urban recycling in Europe, helping to shape more attractive, inclusive and resilient territories.