2025 Agenda

This PhD research, conducted within the PNRR-funded MOST – Centro Nazionale per la Mobilità Sostenibile hub and developed at Politecnico di Milano, is exploring the integration of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) into Italian urban contexts, with a focus on the architectural design challenges of vertiports. Positioned at the intersection of aerospace science and architectural research, the work examines how these emergent infrastructures can be systematically integrated into urban environments.
A comprehensive review of UAM technologies and operational frameworks establishes the study’s theoretical foundation. Based on this analysis, a typological abacus of vertiports is developed, categorizing these structures by spatial configurations, functional requirements, and constraints. The abacus serves as a tool for analyzing technical challenges and identifying design opportunities.
The research adopts a scenario-based, design-driven approach to evaluate three key strategies: ecological interplay (harmonizing vertiports with natural environments), adaptive reuse (modifying existing structures to host vertiport operations), and hybridization (combining vertiports with other urban functions to create multifunctional hubs). These strategies are validated through case studies and iterative design prototypes.
With its complex urban and geographical characteristics, the Gulf of Naples is a testbed to simulate UAM operations. Scenarios range from emergency response to parcel delivery and passenger transport, demonstrating how vertiports can transition from single-purpose infrastructure to multifunctional nodes that support urban development.
The findings offer a scalable framework for integrating vertiports into diverse contexts, highlighting engineering solutions for structural, environmental, and spatial challenges. By addressing both immediate technical needs and long-term urban implications, this research provides actionable insights into the design and engineering of UAM infrastructure, contributing to the ongoing discourse on the future of urban mobility.