Milan plans to drastically transform its streets post-coronavirus lockdown

Milan, the largest city in the hard-hit northern Italian region of Lombardy, isn't planning on things going back to normal once it's out of coronavirus lockdown, but that's not necessarily a dreary sentiment. Instead, the city is launching an innovative plan to re-imagine its streets.

Traffic and air pollution has dropped significantly during the shut down, and city officials don't want those trends to immediately reverse, so they've announced that 22 miles of city streets will become more cycling- and pedestrian-friendly. The Strade Aperte plan, announced Tuesday, will include temporary cycle lanes, widened pavements, reduced speed limits, and streets where biking and walking are prioritized. Marco Granelli, Milan's deputy mayor, said the city has worked for years to reduce traffic, and when the economy eventually re-opens "we think we should do it on a different basis than before."

Work could start as early as May and be completed by the end of the summer, The Guardian reports.

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Since Milan is a month or so ahead of many other major cities when it comes to the pandemic, it could set a global example. "The Milan plan is so important is because it lays out a good playbook for how you can reset your cities now. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a fresh look at your streets and make sure that they are set to achieve the outcomes that we want to achieve," said former New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. "I know we'll be looking to Milan for guidance from New York City." Read more at The Guardian.