This juxtaposition of poverty and wealth begs these questions: Who are these people who live on the streets of Milan, what are their stories, and what is Milan doing to help the welfare of its people? It is a bastion of development and economic progress as the richest city in Italy and the fourth richest in Europe. Milan is the beating heart of Lombardy and the North, and its economic prosperity unsurprisingly attracts Italians and immigrants alike in search of employment opportunities. Around half of all Italians live in the fertile and flat Po River Valley in the north, with the region of Lombardy housing nearly 10 million of Italy’s 60 million population. This high development and living standard can be mainly credited to the economic development of the northern regions, which were the first to industrialize and now boast impressive industrial, service, and financial sectors. Italy is a developed nation in the global north with a high standard of living, for those who can afford it. A sight almost as common as Aperol Spritz and all-you-can-eat sushi: in the parks, in metro stations, under any roof that they can manage. The ever-present sight of those sleeping on the streets exposes the harsh realities of wealth disparity and xenophobia haunting both the city and Italy at large. The towering skyscrapers of Garibaldi and Citylife attempt to cast a shadow over an emerging crisis gripping Milan.
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