An emerging story in Bologna “the Learned”
Bologna is called ”the Learned” due to the presence of the oldest university in the Western world. How is the city preparing to welcome university students from abroad and young researchers who will be working in Data Valley, the community surrounding DAMA (Technopolo Data Manifattura di Bologna) and IFAB (International Foundation for Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Human Development)? It’s easy to extol the “magnificent and progressive fortunes” (Leopardi) of these knowledge infrastructures. It’s challenging to properly translate what appears magnificent into reality. Such significant investments are expected to yield equally powerful results, deriving not only from the technologies adopted but also from the understanding and expertise of the people employed. Both are influenced by their state of well-being. Having comfortable housing is a primary need that, if satisfied, brings happiness and satisfaction, both physical and mental, and therefore improves an individual’s quality of life, both personally and socially.
In Bologna, housing is becoming increasingly out of reach for an ever-growing number of people. For young people, gaining a foothold in the real estate market seems impossible. With housing options largely unaffordable for Alma Mater students and young people in Data Valley, their mental well-being is jeopardized, their sense of community is diminished, and the feeling of isolation increases. If we were to lure junior and senior talent to Data Valley by offering them very high salaries, the rent and housing prices would be raised even further. We would find ourselves having to combat the “San Francisco Syndrome” and the “Milan Syndrome.” That is, we would be at the mercy of a technologically advanced state that is inhumane and dehumanizing. The housing crisis for students and young researchers is complex, as it involves multiple stakeholders, including the university, local government, homeowners, developers, and real estate agencies. Practical solutions arise from the responsibility and collaboration of all these stakeholders. Given the available resources and the overall impact that safe housing has on positive academic and employment outcomes, collaboration among these partners should result in access to more public and private resources to support housing needs. Below are some examples. In the United Kingdom, universities are integrating their mental health and well-being services with services to facilitate student housing, including emergency housing, which at the University of Bristol is managed by its well-being service. In the United States, Portland State University has established a centralized resource center where students can obtain emergency grants, food assistance, and short- and long-term housing services. North Carolina State University is partnering with a local nonprofit to launch a student housing program and integrate students into community life in the Raleigh area. The real estate sector is at the center of economic and political controversies that will lead to wealth-sharing provisions and costly tax decisions at both the national and local levels. As part of the collaboration mentioned here, the Municipality of Bologna is tasked with playing the role of social engineer, building a bridge between the University and the Technopole. In the latter, “its representation is plural and is structured through various figures and organizations involved in the activities and decisions affecting the Technopole and its impact on the territory.” Regarding the latter, the influx of highly technological talent into the city should not be overlooked. It is up to the municipal authority to influence the decision-making process so that the swarm of incoming talent does not have a Promethean imprint. Modern Prometheuses would end up, even unintentionally, endowing technology with ever greater human capabilities, leaving us humans in solitude. To mitigate their potential arrogance, humanistic studies intervene, focusing on the human condition, for which well-being is of significant value.
