{"id":2164,"date":"2023-03-29T09:58:09","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T09:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/compassogroup.com\/?page_id=2164"},"modified":"2023-05-18T14:39:42","modified_gmt":"2023-05-18T14:39:42","slug":"venice-technology-and-the-sea","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/compassogroup.com\/index.php\/venice-technology-and-the-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"Venice; technology and the sea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Venice has been intrinsically linked with its environment since its birth as a city. As a cluster of 124 island settlements that began in the 7th century, it has gradually coalesced into the place we know today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The endeavour to recover land from the lagoon and defend it from the sea has defined the city.  Buildings built on wooden stilts, without fixed masonry, were designed to move and adapt to the uneven settling of the ground beneath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vulnerability of Venice, though not always directly linked with climate change, has nevertheless provided a model of environmental awareness. The seasonal high waters, known as acqua altas, became more severe as Venice subsided. Studies found that the extraction of groundwater was exacerbating the subsidence. As a response aqueducts were constructedin the 1970s, and groundwater recovered. After this, Venice’s subsidence has significantly slowed over the past 50 years. Although acqua altas continue, and the ecological balance within the Venice lagoon environment remain fraught<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The increasingly aged buildings, houses and chapels with basements, remain vulnerable to flood damage. Out of a partnership with UNESCO begun in the1990s, a Geographical Information System (GIS) was developed providing a web-based application used as a decision support system for the urban planning and management of the city. From a starting point of academic research, a practical application for the study of hydrodynamics, boat traffic and building conditions was developed. By projecting information on a map of the city, details such as which buildings and artworks may be vulnerable in a flood, or what wider consequences there may be to engineering projects within the canalsystem. This was only possible through the integrated working of UNESCO, the Venice Town Planning Office, Monuments and Fine Arts Office, and Venice safeguarding commission, along with a number of universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, in the second decade of the 21st century, Venice has completed the MOSE flood barrier program. Situated across the three inlets to the lagoon, these gates will enable the city to control the flow of water through the lagoon, and protect against the aqua altas, despite sea levels that are predicted to increase over the next 100 years. From the control centre in a converted chapel in the Arsenale, managers have been building software and running simulations in order to fully understand how to defend the city from flood, whilst respecting the delicate ecosystem of the lagoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The environmental engineering that is at the heart of protecting Venice today calls the Arsenale home. ISMAR-CNR (Institute of Marine Sciences – NationalResearch Council) is based nearby, looking at the influence of climate change on wider oceanic currents, ecology and aquaculture. As well as foundation issues such as the geology of oceanic plates and the economics of industries that rely on our oceans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CVN (Consorzio Venezia Nueva) environmental engineering department that has overseen the construction of the MOSE flood barrier operates out of the Arsenale. Their body of expertise has benefited from partnering with the academic and technical resources in and around the Arsenale. The continued success of these initiatives relies on being part of a neighbourhood that enjoys good connections with the rest of the city, high quality office space, and potential of further expansion and development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their activities deserve a higher profile in preserving Venice and are potential keen adopters of smart technologies that provide energy and environmentally sustainable solutions to facilitate their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As it was with the initial establishment of a settlement in the 7th century, to today with mega-engineering projects such as MOSE, Venice will continue to lead the world in using technology to build environmental resilience through innovation. This environmental awareness using cutting-edge technology and engineering solutions, illustrates Venice’s adept history of embracing and utilising new technologies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Venice has been intrinsically linked with its environment since its birth as a city. As a cluster of 124 island settlements that began in the 7th century, it has gradually coalesced into the place we know today. The endeavour to recover land from the lagoon and defend it from the sea has defined the city.  Buildings built on wooden stilts, without fixed masonry, were designed to move and adapt to the uneven settling of the ground beneath. The vulnerability of Venice, though not always directly linked with climate change, has nevertheless provided a model of environmental awareness. The seasonal high waters, known as acqua altas, became more severe as Venice subsided. Studies found that the extraction of groundwater was exacerbating the subsidence. As a response aqueducts were constructedin the 1970s, and groundwater recovered. After this, Venice’s subsidence has significantly slowed over the past 50 years. Although acqua altas continue, and the ecological balance within the Venice lagoon environment remain fraught The increasingly aged buildings, houses and chapels with basements, remain vulnerable to flood damage. Out of a partnership with UNESCO begun in the1990s, a Geographical Information System (GIS) was developed providing a web-based application used as a decision support system for the urban planning and management of the city. From a starting point of academic research, a practical application for the study of hydrodynamics, boat traffic and building conditions was developed. By projecting information on a map of the city, details such as which buildings and artworks may be vulnerable in a flood, or what wider consequences there may be to engineering projects within the canalsystem. This was only possible through the integrated working of UNESCO, the Venice Town Planning Office, Monuments and Fine Arts Office, and Venice safeguarding commission, along with a number of universities. Today, in the second decade of the 21st century, Venice has completed the MOSE flood barrier program. Situated across the three inlets to the lagoon, these gates will enable the city to control the flow of water through the lagoon, and protect against the aqua altas, despite sea levels that are predicted to increase over the next 100 years. From the control centre in a converted chapel in the Arsenale, managers have been building software and running<\/p>\n

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