Venice is not just a city: it is an inhabited lagoon. The coexistence of a coastal ecosystem, its economic environment, social activities and human settlements generated governance, engineering, architectural and planning tools to fit such a peculiar setting. This interview is structured into two main cores, each one addressing a relevant issue with respect to human habitat changes: -Why is regulatory planning strategic within a delicate natural and social ecosystem? -What are the fields of knowledge, skills, and technical features that should feature planning practices in a coastal inhabited environment? To conclude, experimental and innovative examples to address key contemporary challenges of the lagoon are presented