Milan, the ‘world’s design capital’, takes steps to attract visitors year-round

As cities around the world invest heavily in high-profile design weeks and festivals as they compete for the title of world “design capital”, the northern Italian city of Milan is rethinking its strategy for the 21st century, taking steps to entice design lovers outside of its annual week-long furniture fair, the Salone Internazionale del Mobile.

The renaissance has been supported by a series of initiatives to make the city easier for local residents and foreigners to navigate, including a car congestion charging system, pedestrian-friendly zones, and a popular BikeMi cycle-sharing scheme.

“The city’s infrastructure – especially Wi-fi, which until just a little while ago was not really widely available – is now much better suited for international travellers and smaller, independent operators,” observes Italian furniture designer Enrico Marone Cinzano.

Cinzano’s forward-thinking range of furniture, comprising sustainable materials such as recycled car parts and recovered mahogany, is on display at Spazio Rossana Orlandi, one of the city’s growing number of concept design spaces that combines a distinctly Italian take on contemporary fashion with avant-garde furniture and interior accessories.