Minority councilors, CGIL and student representatives voice their positions about the signing of a protocol between the Region, the Municipality, Ca’ Foscari, IUAV, Accademia di Belle Arti, Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello and Fondazione “Venezia capitale mondiale della sostenibilità”, aimed at attracting 30,000 students and teachers to Venice “in the next five to ten years”, a goal which will require new housing to be built.
29 June 2023
By Gianluca Anoè
The idea of transforming Venice into a campus city capable of attracting tens of thousands of students and teachers is not a new one. Today’s signing of a protocol between the involved institutions – mainly the Municipality, the Universities and other institutions of higher education – has given a first official path for the project, which, as in the past, continues to attract criticism and to feed doubts.
Councilor Martini’s Position
City councilor Giovanni Andrea Martini, who attended the presentation of the project on Thursday morning, is the first to question several issues, starting with the absences “which stand out more than the presences”. The vice president of the VI Commission noticed that the Biennale was not among the actors involved. Likewise absent were “representatives of all the subjects that would have to make “Venice Campus City” real, for example those who manage transportation, infrastructure and housing”.
Renato Brunetta, president of the foundation “Venezia capitale mondiale della sostenibilità” (Venice World Capital of Sustainability), spoke of his dream of attracting 30 thousand students, teachers and researchers from across Europe within five to ten years. “Who are supposed to live where?” – asked Martini. “According to Brugnaro, in the vast metropolitan area between Venice, Padua, Rovigo and who knows where else. Of course, the mayor has admitted that this can only be achieved by making the transportation system more efficient. So, with well-organized mobility, it’s all the same to live between Rovigo and Padua and come to study in Venice. Likewise it will be easy to study in Padua, but attend the Conservatory in Venice. But exactly what future are we in? And in what world? Have these people never spoken with commuters? Or with Trenitalia?”.
“Then, are we sure – concluded Martini – that potential students or teachers or researchers who choose Venice will be interested in living in the wider metropolitan area? And that they would leave Berlin, Paris or Vienna for that?”.
Sambo: “Administration Propaganda”
Councilor Monica Sambo was also critical: “We learn – she declared – that the Municipality had decided to define the lines for developing the city along with some public institutions and large private groups. In all of this the city council, the major representative of the citizens, has been completely ignored, demonstrating once again the proprietary idea Brugnaro has about the city”.
“As the PD – she continued – we have asked to use the public resources from the PNRR for housing, and instead we have been shut out by this administration, which has preferred to lose 100 million Euro rather than admit its total lack of ideas and projects. Once again, we are witnessing the propaganda of the administration, which is trying to use this project to cover up the failure of the PNRR and the total absence of governing for the city”.
CGIL Has Doubts
CGIL also spoke about the signing of the protocol. The secretary general of Venice, Daniele Giordano, stated: “It has clearly emerged that the “Venice Campus City” project is linked to a privatization of the city’s public governing policies: this also emerges clearly from article 5 of the protocol, which confirms how the project’s sustainability is closely connected to private financing: if you have resources to deploy, you can decide how this city, the educational system and housing are developed. It is a protocol made up of generic commitments, which serves the needs of political propaganda far more than offering ideas and concrete actions for the city”.
“The Veneto Region – adds Giordano – is not taking on any economic commitment in support of the project and will make their skills and goodwill available. The confirmation of this comes from the words of councilor Donazzan, who talks of 2,500 beds, the majority of which are already defined with projects that concern Lido, which clearly do little to reach a goal of 30 thousand students and teachers. About this we have, as always, commitments but little clarity – added the secretary – we don’t know if they will be publicly directed, perhaps leaving to private entities the possibility of enriching themselves with “student housing”, or if it will be the subject that will really make the beds available and will define their fees and management”.
Students Are Critical
The students have also not concealed their doubts about the project. “It continues to sound paradoxical to talk about a project that concerns us without us being even minimally involved – commented Marco Dario, representative on the Ca’ Foscari board of UDU Venice – What was signed today is a vague protocol full of rhetoric: good intentions, but the end does not justify the means. We are talking about public entities and places of learning that have nothing to do with private investors, much less adapting the educational offerings to the needs of the market, as was announced in the newspapers a few months ago. It is ridiculous to talk about doubling the number of students if at present the services being offered don’t even cover the needs of the current student community”.
Lucrezia Ludovici, representative of the IUAV board of UDU Venice added: “We want the student community to be a true protagonist in the Venice Campus project, which can start with the involvement of our representational bodies, and which ultimately means listening to what the real needs of students in Venice are. In the first place, we need funding to guarantee our right to study with the coverage of scholarships for eligible non-beneficiaries; in addition, we urge a serious intervention regarding accommodations to confront the problems linked to high rents and public housing”.
-Source: Venezia Today
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