URB&COM – Retail and Urban Planning Lab
URB&COM works within consolidated urban areas and suburban territories and it develops activities related with academic research and consultancy focusing the transformation and management of those spaces. The main field relies on the process of modernization of the retail sector and all those other activities which often interact with the retail, as the cultural and creative ones, touristic, etc. and their territorial effects in terms of economic development and attraction power.
Recently, the Laboratorio increased its research interests involving other kind of phenomena, as networks of food production-distribution and the impact of IT in consumption practices. Other research activities rely on: (i) regulative processes related with the localization of retail activities at different scales, (ii) active policies for the re-activation of urban retail, also within actions and programs of urban regeneration and (iii) assessment and benchmarking focuses within the national and transnational framework.
Since 1998, URB&COM braces academic research activity with the technical and scientific support to public institutions, local governments, public agencies and private actors in setting up strategic and design guidelines, and the Laboratorio acts as services’ provider and consultant.
URB&COM is the only Italian academic structure that focuses the relationships between planning and retail with a technic-scientific approach based on urban planning, geography and economy, with a strong involvement in education, research and applied research. Principal profiles and skills within the Laboratorio are:
- Creation of interpretative analyses and thematic maps through GIS software aimed at defining the distribution of urban and suburban retail poles (definition of catchment areas, profiling customers’ behaviors, recognition of urban densification of retail services, etc.)
- Innovation in data collection (methodologies, analysis and surveys) about urban activities related with tertiary sector, aimed at using them to set up actions of urban regeneration and improvement of local economies and retail systems.
- Support regional and local government drafting (a) strategic and regulatory tools for urban retail services and other tertiary activities and (b) planning guidelines aimed at integrating the localization of retail activities within the processes of territorial governance.
Latest researches
Latest researches
PRIN 2022_Territorializing the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR)_2023-2025
Le economie di prossimità nella Torino che cambia_TORINO_11 luglio 2023
Discutere di Prossimità. Sfide e criticità per le politiche urbane_Politecnico di Milano_5 luglio 2023
Quali azioni mettere in campo per rivitalizzare il centro storico?_CARRARA_28 giugno-10 luglio 2023
Comune di PIACENZA_Indirizzi strategici per il rilancio delle attività economiche urbane del centro storico_2023-2024
VERSO IL NUOVO PRG – Fase 1 Ascolto degli stakeholder_TORINO_6-7 giugno 2023
La città che cambia. Innovazione economia società_BERGAMO_29 maggio 2023
Sviluppo urbanistico e waterfront_Arzachena_4 maggio 2023
Spazi urbani ed economie di prossimità_corso di alta formazione_Confcommercio-POLIMI_26 aprile 2023
Le conseguenze logistiche, territoriali e ambientali del commercio online_Venezia_20 aprile 2023
Latest seminars
Latest seminars
Le economie di prossimità nella Torino che cambia_TORINO_11 luglio 2023
Discutere di Prossimità. Sfide e criticità per le politiche urbane_Politecnico di Milano_5 luglio 2023
Quali azioni mettere in campo per rivitalizzare il centro storico?_CARRARA_28 giugno-10 luglio 2023
VERSO IL NUOVO PRG – Fase 1 Ascolto degli stakeholder_TORINO_6-7 giugno 2023
La città che cambia. Innovazione economia società_BERGAMO_29 maggio 2023
Sviluppo urbanistico e waterfront_Arzachena_4 maggio 2023
Spazi urbani ed economie di prossimità_corso di alta formazione_Confcommercio-POLIMI_26 aprile 2023
Le conseguenze logistiche, territoriali e ambientali del commercio online_Venezia_20 aprile 2023
Piani e progetti in corso a Milano_Arch. Paolo Riganti – Comune di Milano_3 aprile 2023 Politecnico di Milano
Research team
Since 1998, URB&COM braces academic research activity with the technical and scientific support to public institutions, local governments, public agencies and private actors in setting up strategic and design guidelines, and the Laboratorio acts as services’ provider and consultant. The team involves several experts: Corinna Morandi, Agathe Dessuges, Stefano Di Vita, Giorgio Limonta, Mario Paris, Filomena Pomilio, Andrea Rolando, Luca Tamini.

Corinna Morandi

Andrea Rolando

Luca Tamini

Agathe Dessuges

Giorgio Limonta

Mario Paris

Filomena Pomilio
