Maintenance and Testing of MoSE Begins: Cleaning the Dams and Inspecting the Hinges

January 12, 2023

Experts are concerned about the serious delay in addressing the problems of the underwater structures. Tomorrow leaders of the Control Room appear at the Prefettura. The cries of alarm from experts about the condition of the mechanism and its impact on the lagoon have been ignored for years. [Ed. Note: I was in Venice in … More Maintenance and Testing of MoSE Begins: Cleaning the Dams and Inspecting the Hinges

Air Quality in Mestre is Worse Than Shanghai

January 5, 2023

Particulates in the air are at record highs, worse than Paris, London, Brussels, Luxembourg, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai, but so far there are no restrictions on vehicle traffic 4 January 2023 By Maria Ducoli Mestre’s air is more polluted than Shanghai. The only city worse is Treviso. The air people breathe in Mestre is … More Air Quality in Mestre is Worse Than Shanghai

A Holiday Gift

December 25, 2022

                  I was very touched and grateful to receive these poems from Gary Lawless last week. Gary is a bookstore owner, poet and publisher in Maine who before the pandemic spent a one month residency in Venice with the Emily Harvey Foundation. He has published a book … More A Holiday Gift

Moto Ondoso Worsening in Venice, with Few Patrols and Scarce Control

December 21, 2022

Policing the Tessera canal: only three agents and one boat. Agostini: “With the forces we have available we cannot do more” By Eugenio Pendolini 20 December 2022 There is only one boat and three agents for the lagoon police in the Tessera canal, run by the ex-Magistrato alle Acque. Yes, precisely the route that connects … More Moto Ondoso Worsening in Venice, with Few Patrols and Scarce Control

Andrea Segre Wins Film Festival in Berlin and Dedicates Award to Venetians in Front of Ca’ Farsetti

December 12, 2022

The director of “Welcome Venice” was awarded at the “Cinema! Italia!” Festival in Germany on Sunday evening. Monday he will bring the award under the windows of the City of Venice along with the group Alta Tensione Abitativa. “I dedicate this prize to Venetians who are trying to stay” 12 December 2022 By Mitia Chiarin … More Andrea Segre Wins Film Festival in Berlin and Dedicates Award to Venetians in Front of Ca’ Farsetti

“The Only Thing Lacking for Security is Political Will”

December 7, 2022

Architect Giovanni Leone: “Brugnaro has demonstrated his inability to govern or plan. The issue cannot only be addressed with tools of law enforcement and repression” 4 December 2022 By Mitia Chiarin Mestre is facing a big security emergency. For architect Giovanni Leone of the Venetian association DO.VE., the issue is not only confined to the … More “The Only Thing Lacking for Security is Political Will”

Increasing Numbers of Public Housing Units Sit Empty in Venice

December 4, 2022

“Resources Must Be Found to Assign Them”. A group of opposition city councilors calls on Ca’ Farsetti to invest in public housing By Vera Mantengoli 3 December 2022 Opposition city councilors are calling for a large part of the 2023 Budget funding to be dedicated to the recovery of public housing. Currently in the Municipal … More Increasing Numbers of Public Housing Units Sit Empty in Venice

M5S Calls on European Commission to Evaluate the Use of PNRR Funds for the Bosco dello Sport and Railway at Tessera

December 3, 2022

An inquiry has been presented by EU Parliamentarian Sabrina Pignedoli, with deputy Enrico Cappelletti and former Senator Orietta Vanin. “The PNRR is not meant to cover any need. They can move forward, but we will find ourselves without the necessary funding” 27 November 2022 The 5 Star Movement has brought the “Cittadella dello Sport” and … More M5S Calls on European Commission to Evaluate the Use of PNRR Funds for the Bosco dello Sport and Railway at Tessera

Does Venice Really Need Underwater High-speed Rail to the Airport and a Massive Sports Complex?

December 2, 2022

What possible benefits could accrue to the city from a plan that first erases the habitat of Tessera, while locating the sporting facilities for “urban regeneration” over seven kilometers from the nearest city neighborhoods? By Franco Migliorini The pressures aimed at distorting both the contents and the approval procedures for two projects, the “Bretella-Cappio” (an … More Does Venice Really Need Underwater High-speed Rail to the Airport and a Massive Sports Complex?

Incubation and Innovation: a Former Church on Giudecca Nurtures New Ventures for Venice

November 29, 2022

After being delayed by the pandemic, MITDesignX held its first successful term in 2022, concluding with the Final Pitch event on Nov. 23. By Paul Rosenberg Nov. 29, 2022 The term “startup incubator” evokes a sort of mid-2000s era image of rooms full of overworked young people, coding furiously and living at work – eating … More Incubation and Innovation: a Former Church on Giudecca Nurtures New Ventures for Venice