Why Nobody Lives in Venice
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In the United States, there are some cities dealing with this to varying degrees. I live in Covington, Kentucky, and we are starting to have issues with Airbnbs and other tourism uses that are replacing affordable housing and businesses for local residents, due to the city's honestly quite great historic downtown having an increasing appeal to tourists. The city recently put a moratorium on Airbnbs and other short-term rentals after my neighbors pushed back hard on a proposed Airbnb in a former apartment building in my neighborhood. Now, the city is trying to bring all Airbnbs into compliance with their regulations - including the unregulated Airbnbs that existed before the city started regulating them, and Airbnbs that since have started operating without permit, despite requiring one. Though they do bring benefits to communities and cities, Airbnbs and other tourism uses need to be balanced with other considerations to ensure that communities are sustainable, resilient, accessible, and functional.
Date: 2023-02-17
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Comments and reviews: 14
Leighton
It's the same problem in small mountain towns in Colorado. Paradise gets overrun and loved to death. Some areas now have lotteries for camping and there are limits on daily entrances in national parks. All of the beautiful mountain towns that people love to visit (Vail, Crested Butte, Durango, Telluride, Breckenridge) are supported by a workforce that can't afford to live there and doesn't have anywhere to live. So people make do, I know of people living in rented out closets. That problem grows like a virus affecting the surrounding communities that were once affordable. For every Crested Butte there is a Gunnison that is now unaffordable. The young people leave and the communities lose their continuity, the ones that are left are financially strung out or working in a pot shop living paycheck to paycheck. Let alone the affects of the opium epidemic.
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It's the same problem in small mountain towns in Colorado. Paradise gets overrun and loved to death. Some areas now have lotteries for camping and there are limits on daily entrances in national parks. All of the beautiful mountain towns that people love to visit (Vail, Crested Butte, Durango, Telluride, Breckenridge) are supported by a workforce that can't afford to live there and doesn't have anywhere to live. So people make do, I know of people living in rented out closets. That problem grows like a virus affecting the surrounding communities that were once affordable. For every Crested Butte there is a Gunnison that is now unaffordable. The young people leave and the communities lose their continuity, the ones that are left are financially strung out or working in a pot shop living paycheck to paycheck. Let alone the affects of the opium epidemic.
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Sunny
Visited Venice for a day in early November last year. We had to go to the mainland to go to the public transit system's lost and found to pick up something we left on the bus from the airport to the mainland the night before. It was nice to see the more quaint and peaceful side of the mainland (at least where we went) as a result. When it comes to over-tourism, I think limits on the number of tourists per day is absolutely necessary. Even in a somewhat low tourist season as early November, it was still too crowded in the evening. I hope as much can be done to preserve the city for the future because despite the many touristy areas, there is still much beautiful and historic places in quieter areas.
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Visited Venice for a day in early November last year. We had to go to the mainland to go to the public transit system's lost and found to pick up something we left on the bus from the airport to the mainland the night before. It was nice to see the more quaint and peaceful side of the mainland (at least where we went) as a result. When it comes to over-tourism, I think limits on the number of tourists per day is absolutely necessary. Even in a somewhat low tourist season as early November, it was still too crowded in the evening. I hope as much can be done to preserve the city for the future because despite the many touristy areas, there is still much beautiful and historic places in quieter areas.
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Urbanfile
I used to go often to Venice when I was a student, more than 20 years ago, and live as 'insider' with other students who used to live in Venice.
I think your anlasys is quite correct, over all the difficult to live in a city packed with tourists in the narrow alleys and many points you can't avoid (there are only three bridges on Canal Grande. Four if we take Calatrava's bridge in account.
I'll add another key factor. Houses in Venice are 'uncomfortable'. They're tiny, humid, without lifts.
A house in a horrible '50s grey flat in mainland is way more attractive if you're aiming for a more comfortable way of living.
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I used to go often to Venice when I was a student, more than 20 years ago, and live as 'insider' with other students who used to live in Venice.
I think your anlasys is quite correct, over all the difficult to live in a city packed with tourists in the narrow alleys and many points you can't avoid (there are only three bridges on Canal Grande. Four if we take Calatrava's bridge in account.
I'll add another key factor. Houses in Venice are 'uncomfortable'. They're tiny, humid, without lifts.
A house in a horrible '50s grey flat in mainland is way more attractive if you're aiming for a more comfortable way of living.
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Ducis
i visited italy last year and loved rome because i was in a more residential section of the city and wanted to experience life as a local. so on top of the usual touristy things to do, i shopped for groceries, ate at local establishments, and had espressos at espresso bars in that area. i went on a day trip to venice and found that even the smallest and tightest alley always had a number of tourists walking through it. sometimes, you want to experience a city authentically but it seems like venice solely caters to tourists now at the expense of the residents who still live in the historic district.
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i visited italy last year and loved rome because i was in a more residential section of the city and wanted to experience life as a local. so on top of the usual touristy things to do, i shopped for groceries, ate at local establishments, and had espressos at espresso bars in that area. i went on a day trip to venice and found that even the smallest and tightest alley always had a number of tourists walking through it. sometimes, you want to experience a city authentically but it seems like venice solely caters to tourists now at the expense of the residents who still live in the historic district.
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The
I live in Colorado in the United States and it s basically the same thing that s happening around the world. I got a job offer to work for the City of Dillon and because of high rents and the proximity to Breckenridge, I had to deny the position. The job is still available almost a year later. My friend is a teacher in Estes Park and she makes 40k a year and lives in a converted shed in someone s back yard. Eat the rich.
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I live in Colorado in the United States and it s basically the same thing that s happening around the world. I got a job offer to work for the City of Dillon and because of high rents and the proximity to Breckenridge, I had to deny the position. The job is still available almost a year later. My friend is a teacher in Estes Park and she makes 40k a year and lives in a converted shed in someone s back yard. Eat the rich.
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Ma
I knew about the tourism problem since I visited in 2004.
But as bad as it is. I love the fact people can travel so easily nowdays and experience so much architecture and culture. I want to go back.
Is it that bad to keep some historic city centres as tourism spots? Basically open air museums? I know tourists are hated, but they are just people experiencing culture, and are a major source of income.
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I knew about the tourism problem since I visited in 2004.
But as bad as it is. I love the fact people can travel so easily nowdays and experience so much architecture and culture. I want to go back.
Is it that bad to keep some historic city centres as tourism spots? Basically open air museums? I know tourists are hated, but they are just people experiencing culture, and are a major source of income.
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kueller
I think Amsterdam's more recent policies at least have the right idea on tourism. It's not banning people outright but limiting the industry behind it. Beautiful cities will always have a draw to visitors but let that market go unchecked and it'll snowball. Venice's historic island might be too far gone but the rest of the city is not free from the risk of displacement.
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I think Amsterdam's more recent policies at least have the right idea on tourism. It's not banning people outright but limiting the industry behind it. Beautiful cities will always have a draw to visitors but let that market go unchecked and it'll snowball. Venice's historic island might be too far gone but the rest of the city is not free from the risk of displacement.
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Italian
Venice is out of reach for the commoners, but many wealthy people around the world have bought lagoon view villas. Nobody will ever want to visit Mestre over historic Venice! Mestre has become one of the towns with the worst quality of life due to the high rate of criminality, so if you happen to take the train from Mestre to Santa Lucia you'd better watch your back!
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Venice is out of reach for the commoners, but many wealthy people around the world have bought lagoon view villas. Nobody will ever want to visit Mestre over historic Venice! Mestre has become one of the towns with the worst quality of life due to the high rate of criminality, so if you happen to take the train from Mestre to Santa Lucia you'd better watch your back!
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TariDean
Visited Venice in summer 2017. Although it was tick off the bucket list, the place was jam packed with us tourist it made me wonder how people actually lived there. It was uncomfortable moving around. The funny thing is I had a better experience visiting a little town north west of Venice called Bassano Del Grappa. I looking forward to visit there again than Venice.
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Visited Venice in summer 2017. Although it was tick off the bucket list, the place was jam packed with us tourist it made me wonder how people actually lived there. It was uncomfortable moving around. The funny thing is I had a better experience visiting a little town north west of Venice called Bassano Del Grappa. I looking forward to visit there again than Venice.
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Derek
What has happened to this beautiful city is such a shame. It's been at the top of my to visit list since I first played Assassin's Creed II back in 2009, but now I'm torn on whether I even want to go there because I don't want to be another contributor to the over-tourism problem. At least we can always view it in photos and in that game.
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What has happened to this beautiful city is such a shame. It's been at the top of my to visit list since I first played Assassin's Creed II back in 2009, but now I'm torn on whether I even want to go there because I don't want to be another contributor to the over-tourism problem. At least we can always view it in photos and in that game.
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david. fraser7
Great informative video as always! I think where you are from really affects here people's base knowledge of Venice. I can understand that to Americans it might be a surprise where Venetians actually live but if you are from Europe it really isn't, especially when you visit.
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Great informative video as always! I think where you are from really affects here people's base knowledge of Venice. I can understand that to Americans it might be a surprise where Venetians actually live but if you are from Europe it really isn't, especially when you visit.
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E.
Tourism is so often seen as an economic good. But I think the way we currently view tourism doesn't take impacts like carbon footprints, commodification of culture, and, well, this into account. Tourism will really need to bed re-thought, because we simply cannot continue on this way.
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Tourism is so often seen as an economic good. But I think the way we currently view tourism doesn't take impacts like carbon footprints, commodification of culture, and, well, this into account. Tourism will really need to bed re-thought, because we simply cannot continue on this way.
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The
Easy. Original Venice is not fit for purpose for modern life. Yes there are no cars but you can't bike around the city. Also with climate change and rising sea levels it's not exactly a place you want to live in during a storm. It's pretty much a real life Disneyland nowadays.
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Easy. Original Venice is not fit for purpose for modern life. Yes there are no cars but you can't bike around the city. Also with climate change and rising sea levels it's not exactly a place you want to live in during a storm. It's pretty much a real life Disneyland nowadays.
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Ymi_Yugy
Let me play devil's advocate for a second. The tax revenue and jobs tourism in the historic city provides might be more valuable than the housing it could provide to locals.
After all, nobody complains that almost no one lives in Disney World or the City of London.
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Let me play devil's advocate for a second. The tax revenue and jobs tourism in the historic city provides might be more valuable than the housing it could provide to locals.
After all, nobody complains that almost no one lives in Disney World or the City of London.
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