Open Casello transforms a former toll booth into a public space for young people aged 18–35 in Milan, where they can find guidance, create, and experiment.

A public space in Piazzale Cantore, Milan

In December 2023, the Municipality of Milan awarded a pilot project to BASE Milano, Avanzi, and Codici: rethinking the Informagiovani service in the former toll booth at Piazzale Cantore 14 and transforming it into a space for community activities and active participation.

Open Casello was born at the intersection between public service and experimentation. It hosts the Municipality’s youth guidance service, while also offering a cultural public programme co-designed with young people aged 18–35. The project is part of the Municipality’s strategy to explore new approaches to youth policies: rather than creating opportunities “for” young people, it aims to build them “with” young people.

Two years of experimentation

From 2024 to 2025, we contributed to the project through a range of activities. First, we organised and facilitated the Youth Policy Working Sessions, two structured discussions among professionals. Also, we conducted evaluation workshops with the young people involved in running the space (the so-called “Casellanti”). Then, we contributed to the collective reflection on the model the public service should adopt and evolve over time and, together with Avanzi and BASE Milano, produced the Open Casello Guidelines. Finally, we supported a delegation of Casellanti during two study visits, in Italy and Belgium, to exchange experiences with similar initiatives and reflect on possible models for managing the space. In December 2025, the first phase came to an end and the second phase began.

Photo Sara Benassi