Tommaso Goisis Proposes Three Reforms for Milan Design Week's Urban Impact

Milan Design Week 2026 launched on Monday, April 20, with an early morning barter breakfast in Piazza Duomo featuring Maurizio Cattelan and Nicolas Ballario. The event, running through Sunday, April 26, coincides with Salone del Mobile and features over 1,850 thematic happenings across the city. Urban policy expert Tommaso Goisis has proposed three specific reforms to make the festival more equitable and beneficial for Milan's residents. His first suggestion involves bringing design interventions to public transport stops, schools, and offices to make aesthetic experiences accessible beyond leisure time. Goisis advocates using Design Week to accelerate permanent changes to public space by testing pedestrianization in districts like Via Tortona, Brera, and Via Durini. He further proposes commissioning 50 international designers to develop products and services that improve daily life in Milan. The festival is expected to draw 300,000 visitors with its characteristic frenzy of openings, aperitifs, and exclusive parties. Goisis, a former policy maker in two Palazzo Marino departments and a public governance lecturer, shared his ideas in a detailed Instagram video, arguing that major urban events signal a city's future direction.