This document presents a case study analyzing development rights and residual volumes in Melzo, Italy using GIS technology. The study aimed to optimize existing resources to prevent new land development. It defined analysis units, delimited the study area, and chose an analytical sample. The procedure involved capturing urban data, processing it to calculate existing and realizable volumes, and statistically projecting the results. The analysis found mean residual volumes per appurtenance and per square meter, both including and excluding additional rooms from floor surface calculations. It concluded the study enables detection and optimization of residual resources without new land use, provides a new dataset for property management, and integrates geographic and land registry information.

1. Development rights management through
GIS technology:
the case study of Melzo (Milano)
Matteo Marchetti, Alice Pasquinelli
POLITECNICO DI MILANO

2. ASSUMPTIONS
Optimization of existent resources aimed to prevent waste of new soil
Urban equalization mechanism: equal treatment of properties and free
acquisition of areas for public services
Transfer registry in order to manage volume transfer from public areas to
building lots
Purpose: Detection of residual volumes generated by the urban plan inside
the perimeter of the urbanized territory

3. STEPS
Definition of proper units of inquiry
Delimitation of the study area
Choice of the analitycal sample
Definition of the procedure
Data analysis and results

4. UNITS OF INQUIRY
5
1
1
4
2 3
Italian Codice Civile (art. 817)
APPURTENANCE:
an object intended to serve or decorate another main object: the rights over
the appurtenance are recognized to the owner of the main object or to
whom holds any rights on the main object.

5. STUDY AREA

6. STUDY AREA
Apartment blocks,
medium-high density

7. STUDY AREA
Detached and semi-detached houses,
medium-low density

8. STUDY AREA
Project based texture medium-high
density
medium-low
density

9. ANALYTICAL SAMPLE
Inclusion of areas of appurtenance
belonging to all four kinds of urban
texture
Uniform covering of the study area
Analysis of a sufficient number of
appurtenances with respect to the total
number of appurtenances of the whole
area

10. PROCEDURE
EVALUATION OF
RESIDUAL VOLUMES
DATA CAPTURING
Urban parameters and
Surface data
indexes
DATA PROCESSING
Calculation of Calculation of
existing volumes realizable volumes
Statistical projection yes Volume no
No residual resources
on the study area surplus?

11. PROCEDURE
RESIDUAL VOLUME = REALIZABLE VOLUME – EXISTING VOLUME
Land Surface * Land Index * Virtual Height
Data sources :
Gross Floor Surface * Virtual Height
LAND REGISTRY
for surface data
URBAN PLAN:
for indexes and parameters

12. PROCEDURE
Gross Floor Surface
Sum of all surfaces of floors, outside and underground, included in the perimeter of
the building envelope (walls, windows, doors…). Some surfaces can be inlcuded or not
in this parameter and the urban plan provides a long list of specific criteria which have
to be followed for its computation.
Urban real
Room type Description
estate typology
Main rooms
A (bedroom, kitchen, corridor, toilet and bathroom, , box room, internal
stairs)
Addictional rooms directly accessible from the main rooms
Residential B
(i.e. cellars or attics connected to the main rooms by internal stairs)
Addictional rooms NOT directly accessible from the main rooms
C (i.e. cellars or attic connected to the main rooms by external stairs or
external access)

13. ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

14. ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
*Gross floor surface including just
main rooms
Mean residual volume 323
in a single area of appurtenance
[m3/appurtenance]
Mean residual volume 0.77
in a square meter [m3/m2]
*Gross floor surface including main
and addictional rooms
Mean residual volume 130
in a single area of appurtenance
[m3/appurtenance]
Mean residual volume 0.31
in a square meter [m3/m2]

15. CONCLUSIONS
Residual resources detection and optimization without wasting new
soil
New dataset for administrative management of volumes and properties
transfer related to the urban equalization mechanism
Integration of the geographical information with Land Registry data

16. Matteo Marchetti
matteo.marchetti@polimi.it
Alice Pasquinelli
alice.pasquinelli@polimi.it
POLITECNICO DI MILANO