Expats in Venice: Exploring the Lives of Outsiders and the Livability of Venice

Davis, Christian; Granara, Dana; Pise, Manas; Johannessen, Nicholas; Kaalman, Nathaniel

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Expats in Venice: Exploring the Lives of Outsiders and the Livability of Venice

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This project investigated the experiences of expatriates, or outsiders, who live in Venice, Italy. To explore their motivations for moving to the city as well as their lives, livelihoods, and their assessments of livability in Venice, we conducted interviews with nearly 40 expatriates during our project term. We analyzed the outcomes of our interviews to make recommendations to sponsors on how to support the repopulation of Venice by attracting more expats. Alongside these interviews, we collected and used cost-of-living data within the historic areas of the city to understand especially the housing market and employment opportunities that expats, prospective expats, and native residents of Venice confront. We also considered how both the cost and availability of housing and the job market in Venice are impacted by global phenomena like mass tourism and remote work. From this analysis, we determined that the main factors that negatively impact life in Venice for expats and residents alike is the lack of high-paying jobs juxtaposed with an expensive housing and limited long-term rental market. We believe that through targeted housing policies and job creation initiatives, more expats may be attracted to Venice, a city filled with cultural heritage, beauty, and a tightly-knit community that contributes to its livability.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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