It is universally recognised that Venice and its lagoon are of such value that they constitute an international public good that must be preserved for humanity as a whole. But such an ambitious task requires a diversified, sustainable set of economic activities, mostly focused on the production of services and non-material goods. This complex issue is analyzed using different approaches, with a discussion of the case of Venice as an example of some of the most relevant problems concerning the relation between the environment and development in the contemporary world: the trade-off between preserving an ecosystem and considering it as an economic resource; the evolution of different urban growth scenarios and the preservation of a physical habitat; the role of immaterial production in urban economic development; the nature of tourism as a sustainable activity, considered from both from the environmental and cultural angles; the institutional aspect of governing a process of sustainable urban development. Readership: A unique resource for environmental and urban managers, policy analysts, students of sustainable development, and anyone else interested in the social and economic implications of preserving one of the most loved and celebrated cities in the world.

In recent years, analysts, researchers and environmental policy makers have been faced with a serious shortage of empirical data on environmental phenomena. In fact, the information gathered by various organisations has not yet been systematically classified into a consistent system of accounts. This book presents the results of a joint research effort by the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei and Italy's Central Statistical Office (ISTAT) to design a system of accounts for natural and environmental resources. The resulting environmental accounts can be integrated with the existing system of national accounts, in order to estimate the so-called green GDP' or net national product' (NNP).

It is universally recognised that Venice and its lagoon are of such value that they constitute an international public good that must be preserved for humanity as a whole. But such an ambitious task requires a diversified, sustainable set of economic activities, mostly focused on the production of services and non-material goods. This complex issue is analyzed using different approaches, with a discussion of the case of Venice as an example of some of the most relevant problems concerning the relation between the environment and development in the contemporary world: the trade-off between preserving an ecosystem and considering it as an economic resource; the evolution of different urban growth scenarios and the preservation of a physical habitat; the role of immaterial production in urban economic development; the nature of tourism as a sustainable activity, considered from both from the environmental and cultural angles; the institutional aspect of governing a process of sustainable urban development. Readership: A unique resource for environmental and urban managers, policy analysts, students of sustainable development, and anyone else interested in the social and economic implications of preserving one of the most loved and celebrated cities in the world.

In recent years, analysts, researchers and environmental policy makers have been faced with a serious shortage of empirical data on environmental phenomena. In fact, the information gathered by various organisations has not yet been systematically classified into a consistent system of accounts. This book presents the results of a joint research effort by the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei and Italy's Central Statistical Office (ISTAT) to design a system of accounts for natural and environmental resources. The resulting environmental accounts can be integrated with the existing system of national accounts, in order to estimate the so-called green GDP' or net national product' (NNP).