Public Goods in Venice

We landed in Venice Italy in the afternoon around 4:30 pm. In the airport, we walked for a little bit to catch a public bus to go to our hotel. After we get off the bus, we walked about 15 minutes to go to the hotel. On its way, I could not believe I am walking in Venice and get to see what is around me. During the walk, it really made me think how people live here and the economic system. One of the presentation topics my group presented is focused on public goods. Public goods which are nonexcludable and nonrival in consumption. Nonexcludable means the supplier cannot control the consumption of the good when people do not pay for it. Nonrival in consumption means more than one person can consume the same unit. An example of a public good like a public sewer system (ex: scientific research because the more knowledge benefits everyone). Walking down Venice streets, I was observing the goods! For instance, the streetlight is a public good because the supplier can not control people who don’t pay for it to use it and people can use it more than once. Streetlight benefit people live here because you feel safer when the light is on at night time.

A common resource I see on Venice street is clean air. What makes clean air is a common resource is it have the characteristics of non-excludable but rival in consumption. The supplier can not control people breathing the clean air, but once the clean is polluted then it is gone. To connect to Venice, I often see people smoke walking down the streets. The smoke from the cigarette is polluting the air, that means the clean air slowly contains bad chemicals. Over time, the clean air will be gone and cannot be replaced.

A private resource I commonly see here is water taxi ticket for the canals. What makes water taxi ticket a private resource is that people have to purchase the ticket to able to use the resource and once people use it it is gone. People have to purchase a new ticket to continue to benefit them. I got an opportunity to ride the water taxi, I have never experienced anything like this back at home. The closest thing I can think of this riding the ferry to Victoria Canada. But it was still different.

On the rest of this trip, I will keep in mind how does government control the resources in Italy and how does the control affects people lives in Italy. So far, I can only visualize some the resources in Venice and I want to be able to learn more the public resources and its system.   

Here are couple pictures of the canal and the view from on the water taxi. Enjoy!