A recent article published by Il Post highlights how data centers can act as a catalyst for urban regeneration while also raising important discussions around infrastructure planning and environmental sustainability.
Pregnana Milanese, a municipality in the northwestern Milan metropolitan area with just over 7,000 inhabitants, is preparing to host three new data centers on former industrial sites previously occupied by Olivetti, Citroën and Iveco-CNH. Together, the projects will redevelop approximately 500,000 square meters, making Pregnana one of the most significant examples of data center growth in Lombardy and across Italy.
According to Il Post, these developments will enable the remediation and redevelopment of large unused industrial areas, transforming them into strategic assets for the digital economy. The local administration estimates revenues of between €25 million and €30 million from urbanization fees and environmental compensation measures, an amount equivalent to roughly five times the municipality’s annual budget.
The Pregnana case reflects a broader trend that has positioned the Milan area as one of Europe’s leading data center hubs. Within a 30-kilometer radius of the municipality, dozens of facilities are already operational, under construction, or in the planning stage. According to the Data Center Observatory of Politecnico di Milano, the sector has attracted approximately €7 billion in investments in Italy over the last three years.
One of the most advanced projects involves the redevelopment of the former Citroën site, where the data center is expected to become operational by 2028. As noted in the article, the average construction time for a data center is around 32 months, a figure also highlighted by IDA – Italian Datacenter Association.
The experience of Pregnana underscores some of the key issues associated with the industry’s growth. On the one hand, data centers have the potential to attract investment, regenerate brownfield sites, and generate new economic resources for local communities. On the other hand, they also bring challenges related to land use, energy demand, water consumption, and infrastructure planning, all of which require careful management and long-term vision.
To address these challenges, the Lombardy Region has recently introduced specific legislation for data centers, aimed at streamlining authorization procedures and promoting a more coordinated approach to territorial planning.
The Pregnana case demonstrates how data centers are becoming increasingly central to local and national economic development. The challenge ahead is to support this growth through effective regulation, transparent stakeholder engagement, and sustainable planning, ensuring that digital infrastructure expansion contributes both to Italy’s competitiveness and to the regeneration of previously developed land.
