| Venice is sinking in
more ways than one. As a result of rising tides and draining procedures,
the island is receding into the lagoon.
The buildings themselves are also sinking. The ancient wooden piles,
which have held the city up for centuries, are now rotting, allowing
immense buildings to drop into the soft alluvial soil. On top of
their collapsing foundations, the bases of buildings are weakened
by aqua alta
and their exteriors are damaged by pollution.
Plus, Venice is old. It is difficult to maintain historic buildings
in the requirements of modern society. Bridges
and other structures are also being affected by these elements.
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Weakened
foundations
(Michelin)
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Project
Moses
(UNESCO)
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Many are
concerned with the deterioration of the Venetian landscape. Programs
like INSULA are working to restore buildings, canals and bridges,
while Project Moses has
been designed to alleviate the effects of aqua alta and environmental
campaigns are being launched to decrease pollution.
Deterioration in Venice is occurring at an alarming rate, but these
solutions are slowed by debates on how the landscape should be renovated.
Unfortunately, much of the renovation that is done is for wealthy
investors who choose to buy homes in Venice and reside in them for
only a few months of the year. This trend creates wasted space.
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