“GOCCIA - Green Opportunities to Clean-Up Contaminants through an Interspecies Alliance” is a research project and an urban and environmental regeneration initiative funded by the European Urban Initiative of the European Commission (through ERDF – European Regional Development Fund) aimed at reclaiming La Goccia—an 18-hectare former industrial brownfield located between the Bovisa and Villapizzone neighborhoods in north-west Milan.

The project’s primary goal is to remediate the site and enhance urban greenery relying on Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). More broadly, it seeks to co-design and validate a regenerative, multispecies model that supports the remediation of contaminated urban sites, enhances biodiversity, and promotes social innovation. GOCCIA represents an innovative paradigm in urban regeneration, where non-humans are recognised as active agents in the recovery and transformation of place. It is not merely an environmental clean-up operation, but an urban living lab—an "Interspecies Playground" where learning and experimentation generate shared value.

The project actively involves the local community. The area will not only be regenerated, but will evolve into a vibrant, accessible, and dynamic public space, open to all. During the project, La Goccia will gradually open to the public, becoming an open-air experiential laboratory where citizens can take part in guided tours, festivals, educational activities on biodiversity, and awareness-raising events on the care, stewardship, and enjoyment of urban green heritage.

The project consortium is led by the Municipality of Milan and includes: Ambiente Italia Srl, Climateflux GmbH, Eutropian Association, FROM, Open Impact, Osservatorio La Goccia, and Politecnico di Milano. This diverse and multidisciplinary group will collaborate to revitalise the area, balancing innovation, sustainability, and public engagement. The project also includes three partner cities—Est Ensemble Grand Paris, Málaga, and Rijeka—which face similar challenges and will exchange best practices and insights to inform their own local strategies.