Redefining and Reframing a City

The Venetian landscape is as much a product of its economic activities, past and present, as of its physical environment. Tourism is the main source of income for the city, and also a challenge: the enormous pressure exerted by visitors is creating distorted incentives for inhabitants to abandon the city to the point that depopulation and environmental harm are the most relevant issues in the city's political agenda. The chapter delves into the case of Venice to explore the themes of urban revitalization as a process of framing and social mobilization. In particular, the authors focus on the role of higher education institutions in triggering urban change and on the nature of actors engaged in the transformation of the social fabric of a city. Based on the experience developed within a European project aimed at revitalizing and rethinking cities, the chapter explores the potential of HEIs in transforming cities, the hurdles and critical factors that might inhibit their contribution, and the strategies that can facilitate their engagement in processes of social and economic transformations.