Venice Needs “Theme Park” Management

A leading British economist has suggested that the historic city of Venice must be run like a theme park in order to provide enough funds to save it from rising sea levels. John Kay, author of The Truth About Markets, believes that only by converting the city into a Disney-type enterprise can Venice survive the rising waters and its own sinking mass.

“If the Disney Corporation were in charge of Venice it would not be in peril as it is today. I am not saying Disney should be given the job. However, my point is that an enterprise used to providing entertainment for the masses is best positioned to save the city. At present, no one is running Venice. That is why it is dying,” Kay said ahead of a conference scheduled for this week at London’s Royal Geographical Society.

Venice has sunk by 20 centimetres in the last 100 years as a result of compacting subsoil. In addition to this, water levels in the Venice lagoon have risen by over five centimetres. St Mark’s Square now floods over five times as often as it did at the beginning of the last century. Nevertheless, homes in the architecturally priceless city are still highly sought-after by those of ample means. Recent auctions of a number of palazzi in the city have seen prices rise into tens of millions and property values in the surrounding area are substantially higher than the regional average.

Posted on: London

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Venice Needs “Theme Park” Management

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