Italian smart planning firm takes man at core of urban design

(AGI) Shanghai, April 20 - ProgettoCmr, an Italian business leader in integrated planning, is taking part in the Fourth China (Shanghai) International Technology Fair. The company's remit covers urban design, architecture and interior and industrial design, dovetailing with the smart cities theme of the fair, echoing that of the 2010 Shanghai Expo. ProgettoCmr partner and Managing Director Massimo Bagnasco told AGI: "Technology will be important, but we are increasingly predicating that technology must go hand in hand with the creation of cities on a human scale, friendly, livable and not only smart." The company has had an office in China since 2002, where it operates largely in the sectors of human-centred planning and shopping centre design. "We are hoping this showcase will help the Chinese understand that while cities began as simple agglomerations of people needing to increase their percentage of urban residents, reaching 50 or 60 per cent of the population, like the targets of the next few years, cities are no longer simply a matter of numbers but of quality, quality of life and space. So technology and facilities are important, but the livability of spaces and the creation of spaces on a human scale are crucial factors." ProgettoCmr is presenting several projects at the fair, falling within the ambit of the urbanisation drive that began in 2014, said Mr Bagnasco. He predicts not just massive urbanisation but also the rehabilitation of the most badly degraded city areas. Shanghai represents a fundamental crossroads in Chinese urbanisation. "Shanghai issued its 2025 urban development plan in late 2015, which contained extremely clear, forward-looking directives, making it the most avant-garde city in China, a veritable laboratory in which important decisions are implemented. It is extremely important for us to be there, to make our own contribution and bring our knowledge of urban planning and related skills, approach and methodology to bear," he said. Among the projects presented by the company at the fair, he cited the creation of a four square kilometre hi-tech area in Shenzhen and the construction of an agricultural innovation demonstration park in Eastern China's Jiangsu province. (AGI).
.