Lugano Builds Mixed-Use Neighborhood With Housing, Care Facilities, Parks

Lugano is moving forward with the Parco Cornaredo project in the Cornaredo district, which includes three residential buildings totaling 20,000 square meters of living space inside a park that features 800 square meters dedicated to leisure and outdoor activities.

The timing aligns with the recent opening of the Vedeggio-Cassarate gallery, which opened new access routes and prompted fresh planning for the area around the Resega track and Trevano wood. City planners and the Artisa Group see the project as a way to meet demand for affordable rentals while creating spaces that serve residents across different age groups in one location.

Combining Housing Types in One Site

Two of the buildings will contain 116 apartments offered at accessible rents. A third building will provide 54 medicalized beds with on-site assistance and care, plus 44 additional apartments designed for older residents who can use internal socio-welfare services as their needs change. The layout places these units inside the same park so that daily movement between homes, care areas and outdoor leisure zones happens without leaving the neighborhood.

A private ice rink for training will occupy part of the basement level beneath one of the residential blocks. An agreement under discussion with the Arcobaleno fare network would give each household a free annual pass for Lugano urban transport, reducing reliance on private cars for local trips.

Meeting Broader City Goals

Artisa acquired five of the nine parcels in sector C1 and states that the design follows the planning framework already set by the City of Lugano along with the municipalities of Porza and Canobbio. The buildings are planned to the Minergie standard, and the project includes measures to protect and enhance the adjacent wooded section of Trevano Park through new green and proximity spaces.

Alongside Parco Cornaredo, Artisa recently acquired Parco Maraini to expand nursing-home services and modernize existing structures, adding 83 nursing rooms, elderly apartments, medical offices, a fitness area with pool and updated kitchen facilities for external catering. Both efforts form part of the group's wider program to build housing and services suited to an aging population while keeping long-term costs manageable.

Residents interested in the Cornaredo units can track updates through the City of Lugano planning office or contact Artisa directly for details on application timelines once construction advances. The approach shows how one neighborhood can layer different housing and service types together rather than separating them across distant parts of the city.