Demographical trends of big cities are more and more often confronted with fast-changing scenarios determined by the relevant presence of non-resident population (foreigners, workers and students). Such demographic groups live on the territory but are characterised by a strong inclination to mobility as a result of the labour market growing flexibility. Such individuals or families even if living in the city without official resident status, can be seen and should be considered as equal to traditional residents.

As opposed to what is usually believed, they do not simply “take” from the city without “giving” anything back. It is in fact a commonly shared opinion that non-resident inhabitants while taking advantage of municipal services and infrastructures do not contribute to the city’s internal revenues. But as a matter of fact, in big cities especially, the non-resident population often represents a fundamental factor for social, economic and demographic development.

First of all purchases by these groups contribute to the local economy, non-residents citizens are often producers of important services for the city and are generally involved in the production of essential material and immaterial goods for the whole community. Such inhabitants should then be given special attention by the city’s administration, and efforts should be made to involve them more thoroughly into the public life of the city, encouraging the full exercise of their citizenship (for example guaranteeing them the right to vote or to be represented in their Neighbourhood Councils).

Also, cities with a large non-resident population should provide a more conspicuous offer in terms of public housing, in fact today they are merely able to fulfil requests coming from resident families; this means that public housing in the future will have to become more and more diversified and flexible, (different types of accommodation and partial reconsideration of the required criteria necessary to gain access to public housing) in order to meet successfully such complex and growing demand. In Venice resident and non-resident population is subjected to strong demographic shifts.

Students and foreigners compose a relevant share of the non-resident population having fixed domicile in town. According to an estimate provided by Venice Municipality, non-resident foreigners in town account to 12.700 units, whereas according to a survey carried out by Università Ca’Foscari, named “Inhabiting University. Student residentiality in Venice”, students leaving in Venice amount to 4.500 units. To this figures one should also add the great amount of workers, whose number is not precisely estimated, (such as professionals, University teaching staff and temporary employee) permanently leaving in the city without official status of residence.

According to the calculation carried out for the city planning programme (PAT) and on the basis of the estimate suggested by Osservatorio Casa (developed in consideration of the data provided by service companies Vesta and Enel) by December 31, 2007 the number of houses where non-resident clients made use of household supply services all year-round amounted to 21.902. Matching the number of houses with the residents occupancy rate per house of 2,2 - which is in any case an underestimate since foreigners and students living units usually have a much higher occupancy rate - the overall population living in Venice without official status for the municipal register should amount to more than 48.000 units.

* Osservatorio Casa estimate
Source: Sistema calculation based on ISMU data

Source: Statistical office of Venice Municipality

Adding this value, referring to the non-resident population (mainly located in the historical centre), to the number of citizens regularly registered as citizens in the municipal offices by December 31, 2007 the overall population living on Venetian territory reaches 317.000 inhabitants. If the presence of non-resident population may have positive influence on the whole city, this is even more so for the historical centre where resident inhabitants have been decreasing for many years now, due to a negative natural growth rate. This situation is confirmed by the data referring to the use model of municipal houses.

The number of houses registered by non-residents whose household supplies use is normal, and therefore are regularly inhabited, is growing. In the whole municipal territory, this kind of housing has shifted from 9,3% in 2004 to 16,3% in 2008, in the historical centre such increase was even more remarkable going from 17,3% in 2004 to 26,0% in 2008.