Monza e i suoi piani urbanistici. Continuità, contraddizioni e prospettive per progetti di città diversi, plurali ed inclusivi

The paper presents a synthesis of a broader investigation into the succession of urban plans that have shaped the city of Monza, from the 1925 Master Plan (PRG) to the current Territorial Governance Plan (PGT). The study forms part of a wider set of disciplinary analyses commissioned by the Municipality of Monza to the “Lelio Pagani” Centre for Territorial Studies (University of Bergamo), aimed at identifying and interpreting the territorial relationships and underlying spatial scenarios that contribute to the construction of the Municipal Landscape Plan.

Building upon an extensive review of archival planning documents and critical literature, the analysis is conducted through the redrawing and standardised graphic representation of planning proposals across different periods. This approach makes it possible to identify both continuities and discontinuities between planning intentions and the actual development trajectories of the municipal territory. In parallel, the study develops a critical interpretation of the different “projects of the city” (Secchi, 2000), understood as spatial “figures” (Secchi, 1998) emerging from the selective valorisation of specific territorial elements and settlement processes that have shaped Monza and its surrounding landscape.

The paper seeks to investigate how landscape-related visions and strategies have evolved throughout the sequence of plans. Particular attention is paid to the possibility of recovering a coherent territorial design through the recognition of dispersed yet interconnected landscape elements that may contribute to strengthening the overall landscape structure. These elements provide a basis for identifying potential pathways for territorial regeneration, as well as for enhancing the natural, cultural, and biodiversity assets that still characterise the area.

Following an introductory section that discusses the relevance and urgency of revisiting the history of Monza’s planning instruments, outlines the methodological framework, and explains the rationale of the research, the paper presents the results of the analysis. The succession of plans is reinterpreted through the identification of both enduring spatial logics and recurrent contradictions, ultimately leading to the definition of future research and planning perspectives centred on the emerging landscape framework. These perspectives are grounded in the development of alternative interpretative readings of the territory, moving beyond conventional representations and opening up new ways of understanding and envisioning the city’s landscape structure.