Milan

Milan’s Resilience Journey

Known for fashion, design, and culture, Milan is also Italy’s financial, commercial, and industrial center.

The global financial crisis weakened Milan’s economy, increasing the need for housing support and straining available resources. 12 years later, Milan’s region of Lombardy was the first hit in Europe by the COVID-19 pandemic, deepening the existing stresses.

Milan is also vulnerable to other shocks and stresses, including extreme heatwaves, flooding, poverty, cyber-attacks, and an aging population.

After the EXPO in 2015, and looking ahead to the 2026 Winter Olympics, the city is largely thriving, but Milan has been working to ensure that economic growth is paired with social, environmental, and economic resilience.

Milan is clearly and deeply committed to creating a better, more resilient future for its citizens. Its resilience intiatives include its climate emergency declaration, participation in R-Cities and other networks such as C40, EUROCITIES, and the Covenant of Mayors, the introduction of resilience into city planning processes, and the joint drafting of a new Climate and Air Plan and a Resilience Strategy.