Tadi Massimo

Massimo Tadi is Associate Professor at Politecnico di Milano, where he teaches Sustainable Multidisciplinary Design Process in the MSc program in Building Architectural Engineering and Architecture for Smart City and Urban-Landscape Regenerative Design in the MSc program in Sustainable Architecture and Landscape Design. He coordinates the IMM Design Lab, a multidisciplinary research and design laboratory leading international projects focusing on the transformation of urban contexts conceived as Complex Adaptive Systems. Author of numerous books and peer-reviewed publications, he has coordinated major international research programs and EU-funded projects, advised European cities and Italian municipalities on sustainable urban development and he served as visiting professor and invited lecturer at leading universities worldwide, including UNSW Sydney, University of Canberra, UFRJ Rio de Janeiro, and others across Europe and Asia. He is a member of the Working Group for the development of design proposals for International Cooperation activities within the Foreign Affairs Department of the Mayor’s Office, City of Milan.

Career

Master's degree in Architecture.

Research

Massimo Tadi’s research centers on sustainable architecture and urban design, with a focus on transforming cities conceived as Complex Adaptive Systems. He developed and applies the Integrated Modification Methodology (IMM), a multiscale, data-informed framework supporting evidence-based urban regeneration and low-carbon transition. His work investigates the relationships between urban morphology, environmental performance, energy consumption, mobility infrastructure, and social inclusion. He coordinates international and EU-funded research programs on climate adaptation, nature-based solutions, eco-district development, and regeneration in both European and Global South contexts. His activities integrate design experimentation, digital mapping, urban diagnostics, and interdisciplinary collaboration, linking academic research with strategic planning and international cooperation initiatives.

Selected Publications

Dong, T., Tadi, M., & Tesfaye, S. T. (2025). Unveiling Hidden Green Corridors: An Agent-Based Simulation (ABS) of Urban Green Continuity for Ecosystem Services and Climate Resilience. Smart Cities, 8(5), 163.

Biraghi, C. A., Ogut, O., Dong, T., & Tadi, M. (2025). CityTime: a novel model to redefine the 15-Minute city globally through urban diversity and proximity. Urban Science, 9(2), 36

Dong, T., & Tadi, M. (2025). Digital Twin-Assisted Urban Resilience: A Data-Driven Framework for Sustainable Regeneration in Paranoá, Brasilia. Urban Science, 9(9), 333.

Tadi, M., Mohammad Zadeh, H., & Esmaeilian Toussi, H. (2025). Transforming vulnerable urban areas: An IMM-driven resilience strategy for heat and flood challenges in Rio de Janeiro’s Cidade Nova. Urban Science, 9(9), 339.

Dong, T., & Tadi, M. (2025). Digital Twin-Assisted Urban Resilience: A Data-Driven Framework for Sustainable Regeneration in Paranoá, Brasilia. Urban Science, 9(9), 333.

Dong, T., Colucci, A., & Tadi, M. (2024). Systemic Action Network for Improving Blue–Green Infrastructure Based on the Natural Capital Investigation: The Strategic Plan in Vlorë, Albania. In Blue-Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Urban Settlements: Implications for Developing Countries Under Climate Change (pp. 387-412). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.

Osman, T. A., Paquet, T. N., Furlan, R., Tadi, M., Al-Matwi, R. S., & Isaifan, R. J. (2024). Transit-oriented development in middle eastern cities: the urban renewal framework for the Souq Waqif in Doha, Qatar. Urban Science, 8(4), 182.

Grants, awards and Honours

Massimo has secured and coordinated major national and international research grants focused on sustainable urban regeneration, climate adaptation, and energy transition. He serves as Scientific Coordinator of EU-funded and international programs including, PRISE - Positive eneRgy dIstrict Step ahEad (Driving Urban Transitions – DUT), REMIRIO (EU Partnerships for Sustainable Cities 2021), DAKAR REVE (AICS), and VaLORE GREEN (Italian–Albanian Debt for Development), as well as Work Package leader within the UIA – Urban Innovative Actions program.

He is a two-time winner of the Polisocial Award (2016; 2020 “Vulnerability and Innovation”) at Politecnico di Milano for high social-impact research projects in Brazil and Mozambique. His work has also received international Urban Design Awards, including recognition from AIA San Francisco, the Bucharest Biennale, and the Innovative Design Awards (Barcelona). He has coordinated design activities at the Venice Biennale.

Community Service

Massimo serves on scientific committees, editorial boards, and advisory bodies in architecture and sustainable urban development. He is a member of the Editorial Board of The Carioca Studies Collection (ISSN 1984-7203), a publication associated with the Pereira Passos Municipal Institute of Urban Planning (IPP), Municipal Secretariat of the Civil House of the Rio de Janeiro City Hall.

He acts as peer reviewer for international journals including Urban Design International, Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Architecture and Life, and the International Journal of Design Management and Professional Practice.

He serves on the Advisory Board of Qutubone (India) and the Siberian Urban Laboratory (Irkutsk Region, Russian Federation), and has held professional board roles within the Italian Architects’ Order.

He was previously member of the scientific committees of Recuperare l’Edilizia and Infobuild, and served on the scientific committee of the 2018 International Conference on Architectural Culture and Society (SPACE Studies of Planning and Architecture, London).