Venice in quarantine: the beauty of our urban environment rises again. How can we preserve it?
Quarantine has been an economic shipwreck, yet a natural resurrection for Venice’s urban environment. The following is a series of thoughts regarding the future of tourism-based cities and what designers could do.
Figure 1 Venice minor canal. Photo by Lukas Blaskevicius on Unsplash
Italy is waking up from a painful and cruel 2 months lockdown during which the country’s death toll has risen 20% compared to the average over the last 5 years. Italian tragic stories have been carefully observed and broadcast all over the world, as it was the first country after China to impose a total lockdown. Everything happened so quickly, that people felt overwhelmed by a general doubt and powerless anxiety. It is incredible how life can change from one day to another so unpredictably. However, Italians are famous for being a cheerful population, and now that the country is easing the lockdown, we can detect it. Therefore, post-quarantine urbanism in Italy is not a dream anymore, but a strong reality to face.
After decades of an overwhelming, suffocating and polluting mass tourism, the calli (Venetian names for narrow streets) of Venice are completely empty 24/7. It is the first time in my life I can admire St. Mark’s Square during midday, without being propelled by hundreds of tourists queuing to enter the basilica. Architecture stands proudly in its whole beauty, reflecting its patterns and enchanting friezes onto clear and crystalline water. People often forget nature is the main component when we talk about urban environment, as the attention of a traveller is always focussed on buildings. Yet, Venice without its canals, seagulls and lagoon fauna, would not be so special and precious.
As a matter of fact, the first news on international papers after the lockdown was ‘Wildlife is taking back Venice’ since nobody could believe how clear and blue the water was. This dramatic improvement was due to the lack of boats, cruises and taxis venturing up and down the canals, after the Italian Prime minister imposed total lockdown in the whole country.
Like in every other city in Italy, during the strict ‘phase one’ people were allowed to go out wearing masks and gloves and only for food or essential work. But unlike many other cities, the general attitude of Venice’s citizens was slightly different, as it seems they are rediscovering the beauty of their city, free from tourists and fleshy souvenir shops. Politicians are now studying and planning how tourism-based economies can confront a reopening, but uncertainty remains. So far, the plan is to reopen hairdressers, bars and restaurants on 18th May using plexiglass barriers, despite concerns on the psychological impacts to customers and workers. Many bars and local restaurants have already converted their activities to online deliveries, something rare for the whole Italian industry. Local restaurants, an industry worth more than 41Bn per year, are probably the most stifled. Unlike in UK, hospitality entrepreneurs are not much subsided by the government and for this reasons on 4th of May, Milanese locals owners protested in front of the famous Duomo — where Bocelli’s Easter 2020 performance took place. The day after, a similar protest took place in Venice, where more than a hundred retailers and merchants flash mobbed on Rialto Bridge, begging to reopen. The protest was endorsed by the locals, who clapped from their windows, all aware of the crucial importance retail has for the city.
Another crucial aspect in this ‘phase two’ regards public transportation. The government is giving bonus of 500 euros to cities with more than 50,000 people in order to purchase alternative ways of travelling, such as bicycles and scooters. People who need to travel have to be checked for temperature and disinfected before entering buses and trains, but the government will announce on 17th May further rules for public transportation. In Venice, on the first day of ‘phase 2’ an increment of 15% was registered onboard water buses, and many people were not able to catch the ride due to the reduced number of seats.
Venice is one of the few cities that is pushing the government to fully reopen, as the percentage of contagion is drastically lowering down. The goal is to avoid the worst financial collapse the city has ever faced, thus they want to open the beaches, hotels and shops before 1st of June, which is the deadline established by the Prime Minister. So far, the regulations they are drafting entail mainly safe social distancing and beach club design planning: new challenges for designers, strategists and beach addicts will come. Moreover, what will be the new exhibition plans and how will museums front the new regulations?
It is evident that a brand-new, unprecedented yet required way of thinking for urbanism must be faced. Not only for economic reasons, but also environmental and psychological reasons. Willy-nilly, the city lifestyle will change. How can designers guarantee safety without radically transforming the habits Venetians and tourists love, like enjoying an Aperitivo, going to exhibitions and strolling together up and down the bridges? But also, how can urbanism mediate between tourism and environment, preventing irremediable damage for future generations? The quarantine gave us the chance to finally see how stunning Venice can be if respected. Therefore, the Post-Quarantine must be the opportunity to finally put into action the needed balance between humans and nature for which Venice has been begging, for too long.
