Young people in particular seem fed up with paying exorbitant prices for basic groceries, enduring the influx of tourists, not owning a car and spending enormous sums on a small apartment. The result is that more and more Venetians are moving away. In July, the number will drop below 50,000 residents, a record low in the city’s history.
To warn against the extinction of the lagoon city, posters with the number 49,999 were hung on the bridges in the old town, as a reference to the low level of population in Venice, which has fallen dramatically over the past 50 years. A quarter of the population is older than 60 and the death rate is almost three times the birth rate. The initiative of the provocative posters can be traced back to the protest movement “Venessia.com”, which has been fighting against the population decline in Venice and mass tourism for years, local media reported.
Since the end of World War II, Venice’s population has dropped from 175,000 to a record low of 50,000 people, according to municipality figures. In 2000, the lagoon city had 66,386 inhabitants.
The northern Italian city of the art biennial and the film festival on the Lido has been focusing on new mega-projects in culture and infrastructure for some time, but the population decline can hardly be stopped. Many Venetians flee to the mainland where life is easier and cheaper. The rising prices are making the residents more and more difficult. Daily shopping becomes a challenge in the almost car-free city and involves a lot of additional costs due to transport. The coexistence between the residents of Venice and the millions of tourists is often difficult.
“The depopulation of the city center is a tragedy, but nobody has really done anything to stop it,” said opposition city councilor Marco Gasparinetti in an interview with the daily newspaper “La Stampa” (Thursday edition). Life in the city of 175 canals and 400 bridges must be made more acceptable and affordable for locals, including with an efficient housing policy.
“Venessia.com” calls, among other things, for restrictions on the number of holiday apartments and bed-and-breakfast locations in the lagoon as well as social housing in order to secure a future for young people in the city. In addition, more jobs should be created outside of the tourism industry. Venice should not be “just a Disneyland for tourists”.
The municipality does not fear that Venice is threatened with a future as a museum city. If you take into account the inhabitants of the island, the lagoon counts about 77,000 inhabitants. In addition, there are 25,000 students and 35,000 commuters who are in Venice every day, it is emphasized.
Source: Nachrichten
