The Metropolitan Lagoon

1 _ RESEARCH & CONCLUSIONS 1.1 _ EVOLUTION OF POPULATION IN THE LAGOON In the last 50 decades, the population of the lagoon have been decreasing continuously. At this moment, there are less than half of the inhabitants that there used to be. Besides, the current statistics show us that some decades ago, the daily fluxus of people towards the islands was pretty important. However, nowadays this fluxus has become the opposite, being much bigger the percentage of people that leave the islands everyday to go to work to Venice and Terraferma, even when the number of inhabitants is continuously decreasing.

During these decades, the necessities of the inhabitants have been changing. On one hand, the old industry of Murano is not relevant anymore in the whole area. The industry has been evolutioning to a bigger and newer one, and along the years, it has developing in Terraferma. On the other hand, the transport in the lagoon is not an effective system anymore, being this one focused in the connexion of Terraferma with the main city of Venice.

1.2 _ THE MOBILITY IN THE LAGOON

THE VAPORETTO _ SLOW MEAN OF TRANSPORT

The current public system in the lagoon, the vapporetti, is a very slow system for moving among the islands. In the shortest distance between islands, from Venice to Murano, the vaporetto spends 30 minutes from Piazzale Roma. From this Venice main spot to the rest of the islands, the vaporetto spends more than one hour. Therefore, this is a very long time to arrive from the islands to the only spot of the lagoon connected to Terraferma.

EROSION IN THE BARENE

The speed of the boats damage the borders of the barene. Although the speed limits are quite low, the boats traffic is too dens, specially private transport during the high season. Moreover, there are quite a lot of private boats that don’t respect these speed limits.

PIAZZALE ROMA _ ONE MAIN HUB

Nowadays, all the transport enters in the lagoon through the main HUB of Piazzale Roma. Cars, buses and trains arrive to this main spot.

2 _ PROJECT _ THE CYCLING NETWORK

2.1 _ THE NEW SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT _ THE BIKE PATHS NETWORK

The project proposes a new transport network between the islands through a system of bike paths. This new cycling network becomes the quickest system for moving between the islands and from them to Terraferma, spending 5 minutes from Venice to Murano and less than 20 minutes from Venice to Terraferma.

2.2 _ SACCA SANT’MATTIA _ THE NEW HUB OF THE LAGOON

The island of Sacca Sant’Mattia, in the city of Murano, becomes the new HUB for the connexion of the islands of the lagoon north to Terraferma. This new HUB is complemented with the tram+bike network between the city of Mestre and Tessera Airport.

The new system of parkings in Terraferma (Park & Cycle), ensures the mobility necessities of the inhabitants of the lagoon, that can park their cars in a safe place, and also for the visitors of the park of the lagoon, that can rent a bike to arrive to the islands.

2.3 _ NEW ACTIVITY IN THE LAGOON _ RECOVERING THE METROPOLITAN SYSTEM

The new axis Venice – Murano – Terraferma is going to become the new business center of the metropolitan lagoon. The development of a new type of industry of technology and research, in combination with an effective and sustainable transport mean, the bike, revitalize the islands and attract the people to live and work in them. The old existing industrial buildings of Murano and Arsenale (Venice), become the perfect location for part of the industry that will develop in the lagoon.

This system recovers the old metropolitan character of the lagoon, that used to assign a different use to every island.

2.4 _ THE PARK OF THE LAGOON

PROTECTION OF THE NATURAL SYSTEM

The existing barene of the lagoon north are a very fragile environment in continuous change. Several factors, as the lack of sedimentation (there are rivers that don’t arrive to the lagoon anymore), and the effect of the waves that the boats produce, are clearly the biggest enemy for the barene system.

The new system of dunes protect them from this effects, slowing down this natural process of erosion.

VEGETATION OF BARENE

The bike path goes through different scenarios of vegetation, depending on the area. Where the rivers arrive to the lagoon, the water is fresh and the vegetation is green and high. Where barene are next to the see, the water is brackish and the vegetation is resistant to salt.

FISHING NETWORKS

Through the bike paths and in the squares, people will be able to know and enjoy the activity of the lagoon.

HERITAGE OF THE LAGOON

The bike path goes next to the protected heritage of the Park of the Lagoon.