How do you imagine Venice in the future? Inti Ligabue, entrepreneur

A Great Venice as the capital of Culture, Arts, and Education; an international point of reference for the protection of the environment and cultural heritage, strategic for its ability to combine tradition and innovation. Inti Ligabue, Ligabue Group, for #RiscrivereilFuturo

Venezia da Vivere and the Associazione Piazza San Marco continue to interview entrepreneurs, artists, museum directors, university professors, hoteliers, artisans, event organizers, and citizens who live and work in Venice for the project #RiscrivereilFuturo (Rewriting the Future) of Venice—an open debate to give birth to an idea of a city in balance with the environment, work, and its civitas.

Inti Ligabue is the president of the Fondazione Giancarlo Ligabue and CEO of the Ligabue Group, a historic Venetian company.

How do you imagine Venice in the future?

I imagine a Venice as the capital of Culture, Arts, and Education. A city that serves as an international point of reference for studies in environmental protection and cultural heritage, with a precise and defined role and recognition. I see it in a process of rebirth, placing it in a strategic position due to its ability to unite tradition and innovation.

The Venice I imagine or desire is a cohesive Venice, looking toward a common goal beyond immediate sectoral interests.

A Great Venice understood as the historic center, islands, and mainland, designed and called to operate within a unified vision of mutual interest. A city capable of seeing in the two great crises that overwhelmed it—the Acqua Alta of last November and the pandemic—the moment for redemption, in which to rethink and redesign itself, seizing the forced halt and slow recovery as the necessary “reset” to establish new rules, new opportunities, and new horizons.

We can no longer wait for mass tourism and easy money to return; there are no more entrenched positions. We must become aware of reality and reaffirm the pride of this city.

I am thinking of a balanced and sustainable tourism thanks to planning and mandatory forms of booking and flow management, now also imposed by health requirements. I imagine a city that does not live on tourism alone but finally knows how to attract new activities in the sectors of research, culture, high-quality craftsmanship, high tech, and innovative services, developing and demonstrating to the business world the qualities and opportunities of its structural and environmental uniqueness.

This crisis has projected us years ahead on the technology curve. Months of smart working, video conferences, remote learning, online shopping, and e-health have taught and demonstrated to us that the world can connect and work even from a distance, removing any doubts about the logistical difficulties of Venice for businesses and activities: with distances shortened by the network, Venice is a candidate to be an extraordinarily attractive city for new activities as well. Let’s let the world know and create the conditions for new economies.

I am thinking of a repopulation of the historic center, starting from supporting residential living in various forms and leading to a courageous rethinking of what has been an excess of concessions and freedom in the tourism-driven transformation of real estate, for both businesses and private individuals.

Preparation and awareness are fundamental. The world was incredibly unprepared for a predicted pandemic, and today we are aware of the limits of our city’s economic model; failing to intervene now would make us responsible and guilty.

What can politics and citizens do for a rebirth of Venice?

Politics must establish the regulations to make change possible, acting with courage and making decisions beyond the search for consensus; it should work toward coordination and cooperation between categories and social forces to seek that union of intent and shared goals I mentioned.

But this will only be possible if the different souls of Venice, in turn, push in this direction, proving ready to dialogue and act without looking for an immediate return, with a capacity for long-term vision that does not aim at the exploitation of Venice but at creating the conditions for change.

I believe it is time for everyone to move from what were justified complaints or legitimate claims to responsible action, which also implies a step back for each individual.

Adenauer used to say that “we all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon.” Today is the time to turn our gaze in a common direction.

Propose a specific idea in at least one of these areas: environment, housing, work, culture, security, tourism.

It is not the first time I have highlighted this hypothesis: for Venice to free itself from the monoculture of tourism with all the negatives it entails, the recognition of a Special Statute is necessary. This would allow a city that is unique in the world but structurally fragile to provide tax breaks and incentives for economic sectors such as art and culture, high-quality craftsmanship, and advanced technologies. A concrete basis for innovation, rebalancing its reality, and designing a different future.

Inti Ligabue, President of the Fondazione Giancarlo Ligabue and CEO of the Ligabue Group.