COIMA is planning ramp up its investments in urban regeneration projects, the Italian real estate investor said as it announced the creation of an urban regeneration think tank.

Hosting an event, to coincide with the start of Milano ArchWeek, COIMA said it currently has a €2bn investment pipeline of strategic urban projects and plans to add a further €3bn in the next 5 years.

COIMA has completed urban re-qualification investments totalling €5bn in the last 10 years.

COIMA also announced the creation of COIMA City Lab, “a think tank with the objective of defining standards for the creation of urban spaces of the future”, both for future projects launched by COIMA, and as a contribution toward development in Italy.

Members of the COIMA City Lab include Italian architect and urban planner Stefano Boeri, founding partner of Stefano Boeri Architetti; Elizabeth Diller, an American architect and co-founder of Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

The inaugural members also include Gregg Jones, design principal at Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects; Lee Polisano the co-founder and president of PLP Architecture; Italian architect, engineer and director the MIT Senseable City Lab, Carlo Ratti (Carlo Ratti Associati); Cino Zucchi, chief architect CZA Cino Zucchi Architetti and COIMA’s senior management.

Manfredi Catella, CEO and founder of COIMA, said: “We have entered an era in which cities serve as the principal infrastructure of the planet, and our country has, within its borders, a strategic resource for this development. Architecture will be a cultural and economic engine.

”COIMA’s contribution through urban regeneration projects completed and launched already amounts to more than €7bn.”

Catella said COIMA’a commitment to Italy will continue by fostering alliances among business owners, operators, professionals, investors and the public sector collaborating to enable Italian cities to become “hubs of excellence for innovation, sustainability and inclusion in the world”.

Boeri said COIMA City Lab will facilitate the exchange of ideas and fostering dialogue to understand and address Italy’s urban challenges that will shape in the future.