In this paper we are going to tell the story of Zona Tortona, a project a whole area of Milan was named after. This area is commonly known as “the” place for design. The project Zona Tortona has had a very strong influence on the development and recognition of this territory’s identity.To answer the question of how the area developed this identity, first, we are going to interpret its story according to specific concepts that will help explain the success of this pioneering bottom-up renovation process. Then, we are going to look specifically at the role of design and events as triggers of innovation, renovation and consolidation of the identity of places. This territory has always been in a state of development - from economic, social and cultural points of view - being able to maintain a strong relationship with the present and the future. In 2000, the project Zona Tortona was developed in a context composed of knowledge and skill, with physical resources also being revisioned and potentially transformed.