Come ViVi Venezia: A Multidimensional Framework for Urban Quality of Life

Cities worldwide struggle with measuring and improving quality of life, particularly those like Venice facing extreme tourism pressures. Traditional urban assessments often rely on one-dimensional statistical data that fail to capture residents' lived experiences. The challenge was to develop a framework that could bridge this gap, providing nuanced understanding of how quality of life varies across different demographics, locations, times, and aspects of urban life.

Come ViVi uses a four-dimensional framework to assess quality of life through interconnected lenses: WHO (CHI – who experiences life), WHAT (COSA – contributing factors), WHERE (DOVE – locations), and WHEN (QUANDO – temporal variation). The method combines data analysis, photography, and participatory mapping to fuse personal experience with statistical insight. Developed and tested during a month-long research residency in Venice, the approach culminated in an interactive exhibition that made urban complexity tangible—bridging data, design, and community participation in a single system.

This concept revolutionizes urban analysis by giving equal weight to data and lived experience. It has already shifted conversations about Venice's future, revealing that quality of life persists—and varies—in surprising ways. The Come ViVi framework is transferable to other urban contexts, offering communities, planners, and policymakers a multidimensional tool for developing targeted interventions based on richer insights rather than reductive indicators.

- Four-Dimensional Analysis Framework: Examines urban quality of life through interconnected dimensions of who, what, where, and when - Mixed Methodology Approach: Integrates statistical data analysis, photographic documentation, visualisation and participatory community mapping - Visual Communication System: Transforms complex urban data into accessible a system of visual layers for orientation - Participatory Design Process: Engages residents directly in defining and mapping their own quality of life experiences - Participatory Interpretation Layer: Enables participants to position their lived experience within the four-dimensional model—while instantly visualizing and comparing results across all contributions. - Scalable and Transferable: Applicable across cities and sectors, the modular structure adapts to different scales—from neighborhood-level to city-wide studies—and can be extended to fields like tourism, public health, or urban policy - Evidence Cross-Checks: Incorporates internal validation mechanisms by mapping qualitative findings against quantitative data—ensuring that no single narrative dominates and enhancing data ethics