Some six months after the PARKlife™ works began, Prologis invited its customers, Italian team colleagues and CEVA Logistics to mark the inauguration of the transformed Prologis Park Lodi. The aim of these works was to make the park more attractive and comfortable, adding new services tailored to the needs of park-based employees and visitors. The event was held in a transparent marquee next to the magnificent mural painted by Vesod, entitled l'Infinito, which was made even more spectacular by the leaden sky.

The inauguration was attended by the Mayor of Casalpusterlengo, Elia Delmiglio, who in a brief introduction, highlighted the close links forged by Prologis with the local area and the ongoing investments made by the company at the Somaglia logistics park. Joseph Ghazal, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of Prologis Europe, described the different stages of the park's development, while Sandro Innocenti, Senior Vice President and Country Manager of Prologis Italia, underlined the importance of focusing on the day-to-day needs of those working at the park, and explained the PARKlife™ philosophy. Paolo Guidi, Head of Business Development at CEVA Logistics and Pietro Sessa, Business Unit Leader at CEVA Logistics, talked about partnering with Prologis and their commitment to making the park sustainable from both a social and environmental standpoint, while Davide Ruzzon, Director of TUNED/Lombardini22, emphasised the approach followed in planning the works, which he defines as a kind of 'acupuncture', whereby the entire logistics system was considered as a single organism, with interventions taking place at the park's “trigger points”. Margaryta Hnatenko, Real Estate and Customer Experience Coordinator at Prologis Italia, provided details of the works carried out and the new services created for people based at the park or using the logistics platform.

A longer presentation was then given by Art Director Enrico Sironi Hemo, who, after explaining how the artists were chosen to create the biggest open air gallery of urban art anywhere in the world in a logistics park, invited Luca Font, Joys, Vesod and Etnik to talk about their experiences at Prologis Park Lodi and the meaning of their works.

The project aims of creating greater authenticity, a more liveable environment, and a sense of well-being and belonging were achieved not only through the introduction of urban artworks over 44,000 square metres of façades, transforming their role and making the park more visually attractive and appealing, but above all, by introducing facilities that make a real difference to the well-being of park users. These include washrooms with showers for lorry drivers, new sheltered walkways and areas to provide shade in the hottest months of the year, outdoor seating for socialising, table tennis, areas for eating and drinking equipped with vending machines, and green areas with brightly coloured plants to make the park a nicer place to be, as well as increasing the amount of shade. In some cases, the facilities are housed in light structures, using customised shipping containers.

PARKlife™ represents a paradigm shift in the development of Prologis logistics parks in Italy and worldwide. The aim is to think increasingly of a logistics park as being a place for socialising and a small town centre offering a range of services that will enhance the working day encompassing public transport, communal areas, leisure activities and opportunities to socialise. The idea is to expand the concept of sustainability, while providing a more attractive environment and making life easier for people working at our parks. Ever more emphasis is being placed on both the indoor areas - with relaxation rooms and multifunction spaces for example - and the outdoor spaces, with the creation of areas for recreation and leisure, sports pitches, safe pedestrian zones, wellness paths and cycle routes, shady areas, and a redesign of the green spaces to facilitate physical activity and promote well-being.

PARKlife™ at Prologis Park Lodi is a pilot project for Italy, which will soon be followed by similar initiatives in other Prologis parks in Italy.