The Land Way project consists of a visitor and theme trail which connects a number of locations and buildings of special note, and which leads from the Darsena to the future Expo site, a symbol of tomorrow’s city of Milan.

The route, about 22 km in length, will allow visitors to admire the historic parts of Milan (often not that well known but with plenty of interesting things to see) as well as the large new regeneration projects designed by internationally celebrated architects.

As well as the more obvious public places, such as squares and monuments, private or official structures and buildings will also be part of this route: these are places which visitors and inhabitants are normally unable to see or do not know about. This is an ambitious project which, once completed, will be able to continue in the post-Expo future.

This route can be covered on foot, by bicycle, or in low environmental impact vehicles, and will include some of the infrastructure projects planned for the city.

Construction of the route will also provide an opportunity to adopt systemic and uniform street furniture, or, where this is not possible, to install removable items, such as direction signposts, multimedia info points, and artworks, whose purpose is to indicate the way.

A further aim will be to carry out renovation and enhancement work on building fronts along the route, or to activate substantial renewal programmes for some historic city places, such as green areas, rest areas, and monuments.

Features of the Land Way

The Land Way stretches beyond the confines of the Expo site and its pavilions to enter the urban fabric where Milan’s buildings, squares, parks and best known sights will be displayed for the large numbers of Expo visitors.

The Land Way aims to welcome Expo visitors who want to visit Milan and get to know the city’s cultural sites, and its old and more recent historical locations, combining art and enjoyment, with shopping and gastronomy.

The Land Way will also be a way of enabling everyone to enjoy the city and move around it at a leisurely pace, and in a sustainable and enjoyable way: for those who like to get around on foot or by bicycle, for the elderly, for the disabled, and for those who prefer to travel in comfort on an environmentally - friendly sightseeing tour bus.

The land way route

The Land Way is envisaged as consisting of one main route and four secondary (thematic) routes which will branch off the main route.

The main trail, starting from the Darsena, will meander across the city: the historic centre, modern day Milan, and tomorrow’s city. The route winds in an anti-clockwise direction along a stretch of the old Canal Circle, along the edge of the Park of the Roman Basilicas, the former Great Hospital (today Milan State University), the Guastalla Gardens, the former Helvetian College (today the State Archives) until it reaches the Public Gardens (Montanelli Gardens). From here the route continues along the edge of the Bastions as far as Piazza della Repubblica, and into Via Vittor Pisani, to the Central Station, and the Pirelli Skyscraper. It then takes the direction of the Garibaldi - Repubblica project, which in future will boast some impressive regeneration initiatives (Porta Nuova Garibaldi, Porta Nuova Varesine, Porta Nuova Gardens, Lombardy Region New Headquarters, etc.).

The route then turns southwards towards the Civic Arena and the Sforzesco Castle, past the Palazzo della Triennale, through the Arco della Pace and then along Corso Sempione as far as the area of the historic Fairgrounds, currently being transformed by the CityLife project. The route continues on past the new Portello project, to reach Monte Stella (Milan’s only hill), and then down towards the rationalist QT8 quarter, and the big sports complexes (San Siro Racecourse and Meazza Stadium) as far as Parco di Trenno.

Secondary Theme Routes

Creative Milan (7km): an area of contemporary Milan, with links to the Fashion and Design world. Lying largely within a quadrangle of streets in the south-west of the city, some years now this formerly run-down neighbourhood began to regain its historic economic vitality through a spontaneous process of regeneration, similar to what has happened on parts of London and New York.
Here, professionals and designers have taken over disused factories and converted them into work rooms, studios and show rooms, giving the area a much more dynamic feel as old housing and factories have been supplemented by new businesses operating in the arts, media and fashion.

Nineteenth - century Milan (6 km): an area between two of the city’s ring roads which marked the city’s 19th-century expansion. The area still has features typical of turn of the century Milan, with broad streets lined with majestic trees, green parterres and elegant harmonious facades, generally in an eclectic style or with art nouveau influence.

Innovative Milan (10 km): the new Bicocca Quarter, the first large urban renewal project of the old industrial Milanese outer suburbs (ex - Pirelli site).
The third route develops in a north-easterly direction; after crossing over the Martesana Canal, it reaches the new Bicocca area. A feature of this area is that it is fairly residential but also has other important functions of local value, such as universities, research centres, and cultural centres, like the Teatro degli Arcimboldi.

Milan of the Future (12 km): a system of large - scale urban redevelopment, ex tending from the Garibaldi-Repubblica area in a north-westerly direction towards the Expo site.

The fourth itinerary looks towards tomorrow’s Milan, in an area where the next and most important urban transformations will take place, beginning with the infrastructure and management node of the Garibaldi-Repubblica project (currently under construction). From this project, and with the Porta Nuova Gardens project, the new local institutions cluster (new headquarters for the Region of Lombardy and the Milan City Council) and the Tree Library Park, the route will continue to the former Farini railway yard, soon to undergo regeneration, to the Bovisa area (with the former gas tower area already affected by construction for the new Polytechnic, the Museum of the Present, and the new Brera Academy), up to Portello, Certosa Park, and the new CityLife Quarter planned for 2014.

Route facilities and services
Support facilities for visitors will be placed along the Land Way within existing public areas or area due for redevelopment or planned regeneration.

Bike - Station
A first feature – the bike station – is where visitors will find various services enabling them to cover the route. They will be able to hire bikes, tandems, rollers, skate boards, and so on, as well as relevant accessories, such as helmets, backpacks, food-packs, and rain coats.

Visitors will also be able to make use of facilities such as rest rooms and left luggage lockers.
For the whole length of the Land Way, Bike Stations will be located near the main transport nodes to give visitors a sustainable mobility option for getting around the city.

Gates
These entry gates to the route will constitute the points of contact and direct transit between the main route and the secondary theme routes, signalled by art installations which will act as strong features of attraction and identity for these places.

Navigators
The Navigators will be specially-equipped locations enabling visitors to access information about the routes. Here, visitors will find a range of information about distances, location of amenities, and so on, as well as information about places and buildings of interest along the Land Way. WI-FI networks will enable visitors to obtain supplementary information about the route or to use the Internet to find out where to go and when to take a break.

Rest - Areas
These areas will provide visitors with comfortable places to take a break in the open air during their journey across the city. Some themes and sub-themes of the World Exposition can also be presented in these oases of comfort. For example, the theme of food in different cultures could be seen as street food. Every nation participating in the Expo could set up permanent or temporary light structures and provide visitors with foods normally consumed on the street.

Look-Outs (Landmarks)
Certain spots will be selected as features of the Milan skyline and which will also serve as points of reference for orientation along the route, such as old and new skyscrapers (Pirelli Building), towers (Torre Branca) and look-out points (Monte Stella). At the time of the Expo visitors will be also be able to access some of the taller buildings normally not open to the public, to get a panoramic view of the city.

Zero - Emission Buses
Lastly, the Land Way will be served by ecological, open-air shuttle buses, fitted with multimedia equipment that will enable Expo visitors to enjoy the city’s various trails in comfort. These vehicles will be hydrogen - fuel led to promote zero - emissions urban mobility and help to eliminate pollution in Milan.

Source: MILANO EXPO 2015 site