Ponti Venezia (Venice Bridges) is a geographic system that allows you to view real-time the navigability conditions in Venice.
Using base cartography and bathymetric levels charts, Ponti is capable of showing with simple graphic symbols if at the current moment a bridge or a canal are navigable. Moreover, it lets you assess the navigability conditions for the future, relying on the forecast of the Tides Centre of Venice Municipality: this feature is quite useful for boat return pianification.

It is also possible to make an assisted address research: it is an important feature in Venice, due to its unique way to denominate the names of places.

Outcomes

The project allows the user to get real-time information about the navigability in Venice thanks to a web-based user interface that:

• Allows the user to get real-time information about the navigability of the canals
• Has a map capable of reporting the geographyc output for the requested operations
• Gives the possibility to check the last issued bulletin, since the system can automatically recover the tidal data from the Tides Centre of Venice Municipality
• Allows the user to view a forecast of the tide, giving information about the reliability of the forecast
• Grants the possibility to make a research of the streets viewing the outcome on the map
• Provides the tools through which it is possible to add to the map points and/or areas temporarily not navigable

Technical approach

For the realisation of Ponti Venezia we chose tools that are completely open source, through which it was possible to build an innovative and fully web-based application.

The main technologies are:

• Linux O.S., Ubuntu Server 7.10
• Server database MySQL
• Server databaser PostgreSQL
• Apache Web Server
• MapServer for the geographyc management
• Code written Php and Java.