Unit1Listening1ALectureOK,everyone,whatIwanttodotodayiscontinueourdiscussionaboutcitiesandthechallengestheyface,and,I’dliketofocusonthecityofVenice,inItaly,whichisanextraordinaryexample.So,tobeginwith,let’sreviewafewofthepointswe’vediscussedsofar.Rememberthat,forcenturies,thecityhasbeenstrugglingwiththeproblemofflooding.Asyouknow,theregularfloodwaters—calledtheacquaalta—areabigprobleminthecity.YoumayalsorecallthatthegovernmenthasstartedtheinnovativeMOSEprojecttobuildwaterbarriersandstopfloodingfromtheocean.Now,floodingisanimportantissue,butmanyVenetianssaythatthecityhasmoreseriousproblemsthantheacquaaltaortheMOSEproject.Andmostoftheseproblemshavetodowithtourism.Ofcourse,tourismhasboththepositiveandnegativeside—tourismisextremelyprofitable.ButtheprobleminVeniceistoomanytourists.Forexample,in2007thenumberofVenetianresidentswas60,000.AndwhatdoyouthinkthenumberofvisitorstoVenicewasinthatyear?Twenty-onemillion!Recently,onasingleholidayweekendinMay,80,000touristsvisitedthecity.Publicparkinglotsfilledupandwereclosed.Andtouristswalkedthroughthestreetseatinganddrinkingandleavingalotoftrashbehind.TheresultisthatVenice’scityservicesjustcan’thandlesomanypeople.Thecityhastopaymoreandmoremoneyforgarbagecollectiontocleanupallofthetrash.Inaddition,publictransportationonthefamousboatsandgondolasissocrowdedthatVenetianresidentscanbarelyfindroomtogeton.Alongwithtrashandcrowdedtransportation,cityresidentsalsohavetodealwithhigherpricesforfoodandforhousing.Foodpricescontinuetorisearoundthecity.Somecaféschargeasmuchas13U.S.dollarsforasoftdrink!IntheRialtoMarket—anareawithmanyshopsandstores—someofthegrocerystoreshavebeenreplacedbysouvenirshops,whichmeansthatVenetianshavefewerplacestobuytheirgroceries.Inpopulartouristareas,renthasalmosttripled,andmanysmalllocalbusinesses—forexample,toystoresandhardwarestores—can’taffordtopay.LetmeaddthatthereisaserioushousingprobleminVenice.Atonetime,therewereregulationsmakingitillegaltoconvertresidentialbuildingsintohotels.Butalawin1999removedthoseregulations,andthehousingproblemgotevenworse.Sincethen,thenumberofhotelsandguesthouseshasincreasedby600percent,andthenumberofhousesthatareavailableforlocalresidentshasgonedown.Thesedays,housingisonlyaffordablefortheveryrichorforpeoplewhoalreadyownhousesbecausethey’vebeenpasseddownbyfamily.YoungVenetianssimplycan’taffordtobuyanypropertyinthecity.ThishasforcedahugenumberofVenetianresidentstomoveoutofthecity.Thirtyyearsago,thepopulationofVenicewasaround120,000.Nowit’slessthan60,000.So,whydoesVenicecontinuetoencouragetourismwhenitcausessomanyproblems?Mainlyit’sbecausetourisminVenicegeneratesmorethantwobillionU.S.dollarsayearinrevenue—andmanythinkthattheamountismuchhigher.Also,there’salotoffinancialpressureonVenice.Thecleaningofcanals,restorationofoldstructures,andtheMOSEprojectareallveryexpensive.Tourismbringsinmoneytohelpthecitysolvetheseproblems.AnotherpointIwanttomakeisthatmanypeopleinVenicehavejobsrelatedtotourism.Asmoretouristscometothecity,hotels,restaurants,andmuseumsneedtohiremoreworkers.Infact,thecityofVenicehasalowerunemploymentratethantherestofItaly,andit’slikelyaresultofthetourismindustry.SomepeoplethinkthatVeniceistoblameforitsownproblems—thattheseproblemsaretheresultofgreedfortourists’money.There’salotoftalkaboutlimitingtourists,taxingtourists,andevenaskingtouriststoavoidthebusyseaso...
