On Thursday 12 June, Piazzale Cantore will be transformed: Open Casello’s new tactical square is born — a temporary urbanism project that aims to rewrite how we experience public space.
For one day, the square became an open-air lab, thanks to a collective action of participatory painting and the introduction of new urban furniture. But what remains is something more lasting: a place to meet, spend time, and reimagine together new ways of inhabiting the city.
The project — promoted by the Municipality of Milan, Youth Promotion Department — is part of Milano Giovani – Casello Cantore and aims to strengthen Open Casello’s role as an accessible and inclusive public space for new generations. A space to build relationships, spark shared visions, and activate civic engagement.
A grassroots, participatory process
The new square is the result of a participatory process involving students from the Politecnico di Milano (with the support of AMAT – the Agency for Mobility, Environment and Territory), project partners, and the active community around Open Casello — young people who have been bringing this space to life for over a year.
The inauguration will welcome institutions, youth organisations and partners, including Vertigo, Analog Milano, Divanity Podcast and Snodo. A day of celebration and collaboration, but also a concrete expression of an urban vision that puts young people, creativity, and inclusion at its core.
COS’È OPEN CASELLO ↗
Launched in 2024 inside the former tollhouse at Piazzale Cantore, Open Casello is a hybrid space promoted by the Municipality of Milan and managed by BASE Milano in collaboration with Avanzi and Codici. It’s a place for those born in 1996 and after — a space to connect, experiment, and build networks.
Open Casello is:
→ a policy space, connecting youth policies and projects;
→ a space of opportunity, where community practices and dialogue take shape;
→ a place to inhabit, where young people and informal groups can speak up, create, and collaborate.
Between September 2024 and December 2025, it will host more than 60 events co-curated by youth collectives, alongside training courses, help desks, and initiatives promoted by Giovani Milano, the city service dedicated to active citizenship for new generations.
OPEN CASELLO IS A PROJECT BY
IN COLLABORATION WITH
SUSTAINED BY
In collaboration with Politecnico di Milano e di Openstage