IMM DesignLab

Reduce the concrete, raise the cool. Plant a tree, drop the heat. 🌱🌿

🚲 The Diagonal bike lane, between Passeig de Sant Joan and Glòries, shows what a truly people-oriented street can be.

Cycling through flowers, trees, shade, and public transport infrastructure transforms everyday mobility into an urban experience. 🌳🌺

This is not just a bike lane—
it is a different vision of the city.

🌿 A city is only as resilient as its green connections.
Action 5.1 of IMM: Create a connected, continuous, and integrated system of urban open green spaces. It reminds us that parks, green corridors, wetlands, green roofs, cycling paths, waterways, and biodiversity networks should not exist as isolated elements—they must function as a single connected urban ecosystem.
By linking ecological corridors, stormwater systems, active mobility routes, and public open spaces, cities can improve biodiversity, reduce flooding, mitigate urban heat, enhance air quality, and create healthier places for people to live, work, and move.
A connected green infrastructure network is more than urban landscaping: it is a performative infrastructure that supports ecosystem services, climate resilience, and urban liveability while reconnecting nature, water, wildlife, and communities.
🌱 From fragmented green spaces to integrated green systems.
🌍 From grey infrastructure to resilient urban ecosystems.
picture by (intern at IMMdesignlab)

🌿 What if urban green spaces did more than just look beautiful?

Action 5.2 of IMM promotes a new generation of connected green networks where nature, recreation, health, and social life become part of the same system. Playgrounds, active play areas, informal sports spaces, recreation lawns, water features, and gathering places are not isolated amenities—they are interconnected components of a living urban infrastructure.

By linking people, water, biodiversity, and public life through continuous green corridors, cities can create healthier communities, encourage active lifestyles, improve climate resilience, and strengthen social interaction for all generations.

A successful park is not simply a destination. It is a connected network of experiences, activities, and ecosystem services that transforms everyday urban life.

🌍 Designing greener cities means designing places where nature and people thrive together.

diagram by (intern at IMMdesignlab)

can be defined in Fluid Mechanics as a measure of the ability of a substance to allow gases or liquids through it. is related to Porosity but also to the shapes of the porous material.
In , describes the extent to which urban form permits or restrict the movement of people, or vehicles or material and immaterial flow. can refer to the extent to which a two-dimensional plan area is “permeated” by accessible space or indicates the extent to which urban texture allows pedestrian movement.

🌧️🚶‍♂️🚲 One way to reduce stormwater flooding on streets? Permeable pavement materials! These innovative solutions let water infiltrate through streets and sidewalks, significantly cutting down runoff. 🌿💧
Ideal for sidewalks, bikeways, parking lanes, and streets with lower vehicle traffic volumes and fewer heavy vehicles.
Let’s pave the way to a more sustainable urban future!
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🌳🏙️ Urban Trees: Essential for Vibrant Cities 🌳🏙️Urban trees are more than just greenery – they're vital for our cities' health and beauty. From cleaning the air to providing shade and tranquility, trees enrich our lives in countless ways. Let's keep our cities green and thriving by planting and preserving urban trees!
Picture: Milan 🙂🌳

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Energy efficiency is the invisible architecture of a resilient city.
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🌟 Unlocking the Magic of Emergence in Urban Systems with IMM! 🏙️

Did you know that in IMM, the concept of Key Categories represents the emergence process in Complex System Theory? 🔄 These categories, like Porosity, Permeability, and Diversity, capture the dynamic interactions between urban elements to create something greater than the sum of its parts. 🌳

Join us in exploring the fascinating world of urban morphology and sustainability with IMM! Let's build resilient cities together. 💡