<scp>THE CONTESTED CITY OF VENICE</scp> : Caring for Commodified Common Infrastructures in a Touristified Environment

Abstract In this essay I reveal contested common infrastructures in the interplay between vanishing public infrastructures in Venice and lack of care by governmental actors in a city with a shrinking number of inhabitants. I examine care and commodified public infrastructures in heritage cities facing mass tourism and climate change effects by zooming in on effects of entangled commons at the micro‐spatial level (public furniture), meso level of the neighbourhood (public buildings) and macro level of infrastructure decisions (cruise ships and harbour areas) that affect both the ecosystem and everyday life. I also discuss the role local initiatives play who are fighting for the right to the city. My ongoing ethnographic fieldwork since 2019 forms the empirical basis.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
International Journal of Urban and Regional Research
Published
2026-03-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.70057
Primary Topic
Water Governance and Infrastructure
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

THE CONTESTED CITY OF VENICE : Caring for Commodified Common Infrastructures in a Touristified Environment

Cornelia Dlabaja
International Journal of Urban and Regional Research
Water Governance and Infrastructure
article

THE CONTESTED CITY OF VENICE : Caring for Commodified Common Infrastructures in a Touristified Environment

Cornelia Dlabaja
article en

Abstract

Abstract In this essay I reveal contested common infrastructures in the interplay between vanishing public infrastructures in Venice and lack of care by governmental actors in a city with a shrinking number of inhabitants. I examine care and commodified public infrastructures in heritage cities facing mass tourism and climate change effects by zooming in on effects of entangled commons at the micro‐spatial level (public furniture), meso level of the neighbourhood (public buildings) and macro level of infrastructure decisions (cruise ships and harbour areas) that affect both the ecosystem and everyday life. I also discuss the role local initiatives play who are fighting for the right to the city. My ongoing ethnographic fieldwork since 2019 forms the empirical basis.

International Journal of Urban and Regional Research
Openalex Percentile: Top 22%
Water Governance and Infrastructure
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.