Morning Traffic on the Grand Canal
One of Venice’s many special qualities is the absence of autos. Instead, Venice relies on boats since the city is comprised of 117 islets and 150 canals, all connected by 400 bridges. You’d think lack of emissions would make Venice the healthiest place in the world, but it has a different problem: its environment is extremely fragile due to ocean tides meeting freshwater streams, mud banks, marshes and shifting sand. Water levels are dropping, pollution and silt have settled into the lagoon and the boats’ wakes have exposed the city’s foundations to air and, subsequently, rot.
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