Italy: Venice wants to turn an island into a public park

Poveglia, an uninhabited island in Venice's lagoon, is being reclaimed by citizens after decades of abandonment. The group Poveglia per tutti blocked a planned 2014 auction, raised over €480,000 and has now secured six‑year usage rights. Volunteers aim to create a public biodiversity oasis — a rare victory against the city’s growing privatization and exclusion driven by tourism and wealthy investors.