The conference is the result of two research projects developed within the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies: ProdAction, a CRAFT pilot project that analyzed the territorial impact of the spread of data centers in the Milan metropolitan area and initiated a collaborative process with the various stakeholders involved with the aim of providing knowledge and tools useful to legislators and local administrations for making future decisions in the public interest in an informed and conscious manner; the “Datascapes” Honors Program supported by Techbau, which involved a number of architecture students in a training course on the integrated design of data centers, with a particular focus on the regeneration of disused production sites and the sustainability of buildings.

The event aims to fuel academic and public debate on an emerging and urgent issue through the comparison of European experiences, the presentation of projects and research reports, and dialogue between scholars, administrators, digital and real estate operators, designers, and stakeholders.