ABSTRACT
An experimental and in some respects culturally provocative operation like that of the Strategic Project required the use of an innovative instrument. To build the theme of habitability as a fundamental dimension of public policies basically required methods of formulating the Strategic Project that was different from the typical clichs of strategic planning. The diversity of the sources of inspiration which came together to generate the idea of a competition as one of the ways of implementing the Strategic Project had an influence on the design and organisation of the competition itself. This was particularly so for the first one, which was launched at the public presentation of the first Strategic Project document with the prizes awarded at the start of 2007. The first City of Cities competition had enabled the project to measure the widespread willingness of Milan society to consider the themes of habitability and to acquire a wealth of very significant ideas and experiences.
