On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, an online seminar was held entitled “HISTORY OF VENICE’S RESILIENCE. Economic, social, and urban challenges and transformations over the past two centuries”.
The event was part of the in-depth analysis and dissemination initiatives promoted by the Venice Sustainability Foundation (VSF) and is linked to the recent publication of the VSF Report dedicated to the history of Venice’s resilience. The volume brings together the results of research conducted as part of the strategic initiative Target Scenario for Integrated Urban Sustainability for Venice and Its Metropolitan Hinterland, aimed at defining a shared vision and a transformation roadmap for the city.
The discussion – enriched by contributions from expert figures including Silvia Oliva (VSF), Damiano De Marchi (VSF and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), Pierpaolo Campostrini (CORILA), and Carlo Urbani (IVSLA), authors of the report – analyzed the city’s economic, social, and urban developments.
The seminar explored how the lagoon city has continually redefined the balance between land and sea, between urbs and civitas, within an ever-evolving global context. At the heart of the debate were crucial issues shaping the city’s future: residency, economy, tourism, infrastructure, and the historical alliance with the lagoon ecosystem.
The central thread running through the event was the narrative of a Venice capable of forging its own path through innovative policies, lively debate, and, at times, errors necessary for growth. The analysis of the past two centuries was intended not merely as an exercise in memory, but as a concrete contribution toward a comprehensive overview of the transformations that have occurred.
The session's ultimate objective was to encourage a forward-looking perspective. Despite present-day challenges, Venice aspires to outline a sustainable development model built upon a broad territorial scale. The seminar examined how defining a future scenario must begin with a data-informed approach and successfully integrate the protection of cultural heritage with the enhancement of the local community and economy – leveraging the opportunities arising from technological innovation and the city’s capacity for resilience.
The initiative was organized by VSF in collaboration with the Treviso Campus – Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.
All materials presented are available within the VSF Report, which can be downloaded at the following link (AVAILABLE IN ITALIAN ONLY): “STORIA DELLA RESILIENZA DI VENEZIA. Sfide e trasformazioni economiche, sociali e urbanistiche degli ultimi due secoli“.
