Sister City



Seattle, Washington

  By evaluating a culture different from our own, we can learn how to improve our lifestyle. The words work and stress are used far to often in the same sentence.Creating a balance between work and home life can take the stress out of a daily routine.  In the United States, most health disorders are because of the unhealthy eating and living habits. For this project, research of Milan's wellness in their culture will be compared to that of the US.
      Seattle, Washington, the "Sister City" to Milan, Italy is going to be the location of Landor's new office. Both cities are home to shopping, historical landmarks and great cuisine. These two locations also share the same Mediterranean climate and are bordered by mountains. A big difference however is Milan's lack of a large water feature. Seattle surrounds the Puget Sound, affecting the cuisine immensely, while Milan only has a man made lake city people escape to in the summer.
   Milan is a fashion powerhouse. The city is driven by well dressed workaholics who spend their down time on shopping. Even if shopping in "The Rectangle of Gold" is too expensive, locals head to the nearby outlet stores. The price tags still aren't cheap but hunting through runway fashions for a bargain is always worth it.  The outlet stores are located right outside the corso Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the oldest malls in the world. For a nice relaxing day, a walk through Fiera di Senigallia is a top choice. It is one of the many flea markets within the city.
   When shopping gets to be too much, relaxation can be achieved at any one of the famous spas such as, Lepri (owned by a famous hairstylist), Terme Milano, and the Bulgari Hotel. Spas however, are mostly sought after by tourists or wealthy vacationers. The city has a boisterous night life, a lot like Seattle, where happy hour starts after the work day is over and lasts well into the early hours of the morning. Hollywood is usually crowded with hip and artsy people while Loolapaloosa offers wild dancing. Meals are often a time to spend catching up with friends and family. Coffee, cafes, and happy hour are a time out from the stresses of work. These are the customs that keep stress levels down. Leave work at work and have a nice dinner with the family. Meal time in Milan is not rushed, everything else waits.
   A major difference between these two countries is eating habits. Americans generally get a quick hour to eat lunch so businesses can remain open throughout the day. In Milan however, they have whats called the three hour Pranzo. Italians take their time to gather around a meal and savor gourmet food. As for the Americans who are so busy rushing themselves, they usually grab a bite to eat at the quickest location, aka McDonald's.  Fast food restaurants are a pandemic spreading through the streets of the US.  They allow laziness and decrease the motivation to pack up a healthier lunch or pick a better choice.
   Looking at Americas all work and no play lifestyle compared to Milans work AND play lifestyle really shows where the stress comes in. Bringing a better dining environment into the work place may decrease the amount of fast food visits by employees stressing to eat within a short break. Taking another leaf out of Milans stress free environment could be to have a small cafe or convenience store within the building. It could offer magazines, snacks, coffee, cafe tables, and maybe WiFi. Adding small touches of relaxing activities at work would make it a more enjoyable and stress free environment.