Economist.com Cities Guide: Milan Briefing - August 2005

News this month

Basta security?

In the wake of the bombing attacks in London in July, Milan’s public-security committee has approved measures to make the city’s subway system and other potential terrorist targets more secure. At a meeting on July 11th, the committee—made up of Milan's mayor, Gabriele Albertini, prefect Bruno Ferrante and local police officials—decided to install video cameras in the city’s subway cars, and to have armed guards assist police patrols on public transport. A commission is preparing guidelines on how to react in case of an attack, and emergency simulations may be held to test these plans. Other efforts are being made to improve cell-phone communication on subways, and recruit local taxi drivers to help evacuate the population in case of an emergency.

Milan has been the setting for many of the national government’s anti-terrorism activities. On July 9th, two days after the first set of London bombings, the carabinieri arrested 142 people in an anti-terrorism security sweep in the Lombardy region. Four days later a judge in Brescia convicted two North Africans of belonging to an extremist cell accused of planning an attack on Milan’s subway. Some worry that Italy's alliance with America in the war in Iraq (Italy has 3,000 troops there) makes the country more vulnerable.

Airport sale takes off

The city of Milan has decided to sell a 33% stake in SEA, the company responsible for running the city’s two major airports. Milan, which now owns 84.56% in SEA, plans to sell the holding through a competitive bidding process, with the investment bank Mediobanca SpA assigned the task of appraising the stake’s value. The city has said that money brought in from the sale will be used to fund local public-works projects.

This is not the first time the city has sought to sell a stake in the airport manager. Plans to list SEA on the stock market were shelved in late 2001 after two planes collided at Milan’s Linate airport, resulting in 118 deaths. An initial public offering of a 34% stake had been expected to bring in about €600m to the city’s coffers.

Multi-ethnic Milan

Milan is becoming increasingly multi-ethnic, with immigrants from 161 countries living within the city walls, data from the city’s demographic office shows. According to the figures, immigrants from the Philippines represent the largest class of foreigners, with some 25,578 living in Milan, while Egyptians come in second, numbering 19,905. Immigrants from Peru, China and Ecuador follow, at over 10,000 each.

The number of countries represented in Milan also rose in 2005, with the arrival of one new citizen each from Barbados and Laos. Immigrants represent nearly 12% of Milan’s roughly 1.3m residents, and in recent years they have helped to boost a local population that otherwise would have declined.

Looking good

The desire of locals to fit into their barely-there swimwear in time for summer holidays has helped drive a boom in the beauty and exercise business in Italy’s fashion capital. According to research published by Milan’s chamber of commerce on August 1st, the number of gyms, wellness centres and aesthetic salons in Milan has jumped 21.9%, 90.6% and 27%, respectively, in the last four years. The association’s figures also show that the Milanese have more places to work out and beautify themselves than their counterparts in Rome and elsewhere in Italy.

Mosquito madness

On July 28th Codacons, a consumer association, filed a complaint against the Milanese government for failing to adequately disinfect against the mosquitoes that plague the city each summer. Domenico Zampaglione, the local politician responsible for environmental issues, responded that 95% of mosquito larvae had been destroyed since this year’s anti-mosquito campaign began in late April. The city invested some €700,000 to keep mosquitoes at bay this year, periodically spraying rice fields, bodies of water, parks and other green areas. Left untreated, however, were the private gardens and courtyards that make up a majority of Milan's green areas—a decision that left the workers at Codacons scratching their heads.

Catch if you can

August 2005

Festival Latino Americando

Until August 15th 2005

If you like dancing to Latin rhythms, there’s still time to catch the last days of Milan’s 15th annual Festival Latino Americando, held this year at the Forum Assago on the edge of the city.
The festival ends August 15th with a grand re-enactment of Carnival, with 300 musicians and dancers and the possibility for the public to join in. Nightly concerts, held at 9.30pm, include a tropical tribute to the Beatles from the Mercadonegro orchestra on August 8th; an appearance by Toquinho, a world-famous Brazilian acoustic bossa guitarist, on August 9th; and a performance by Victor Manuelle, a Puerto Rican salsa singer, on August 13th. The festival also has stands with artisan goods, tourism ideas, cocktail bars and restaurants featuring the cuisine of Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela.

Forum Assago. Open: Mon-Sun: 6pm-2am. Tel: +39 0322 47670 (9am-6pm), +39 (02) 45709915 (6pm-12am). Tickets: €10 (Mon €5, Sat €15). A full concert schedule and other information is available on the festival's website (in Italian).

More from the Milan cultural calendar