Cittaslow

The Cittaslow logo.

Cittaslow is a movement founded in Italy in October 1999. The inspiration of Cittaslow was the Slow Food organization. Cittaslow's goals include improving the quality of life in towns by slowing down its overall pace, especially in a city's use of spaces and the flow of life and traffic through them.^[1] Cittaslow is part of a cultural trend known as the Slow movement.

Cittaslow has expanded broadly beyond Italy. By 2006, national Cittaslow networks existed in Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom. By mid-2009, fourteen countries had at least one officially accredited Cittaslow community. In July 2009, the small seaside village of Cowichan Bay in Canada became the north American continent's first Cittaslow town.

Membership

There are three categories of membership: Cittaslow; Cittaslow Supporter; and Cittaslow Friend.^[2]

Like Slow Food, Cittaslow is a membership organisation. Full membership of Cittaslow is only open to towns with a population under 50,000. To become eligible for membership, a town must normally score at least 50 percent in a self-assessment process against the set of Cittaslow goals, and then apply for admission to the appropriate Cittaslow national network. An annual membership fee is payable by towns.

The first town in England to become a Cittaslow city was Ludlow; the first in Wales was Mold.^[3] Slow cities have been introduced^[when?] not only in South Korea but in the whole of Asia.^[4]

The goals and aims

There are 50 goals and principles that each Cittaslow town commits to work to achieve. Although there will always be place for improvement these goals serve as tangible benchmarks to improve the quality of life in the city.

The main aims of the movement are:

• making life better for everyone living in an urban environment
• improving the quality of life in the cities
• resisting the homogenization and globalization of towns around the globe
• protecting the environment
• promoting cultural diversity and uniqueness of individual cities
• provide inspiration for a healthier lifestyle

"Cittaslow is about more than a set of 50 goals and principles. It is a way of thinking. It is about caring for your town and the people who live and work in it or visit it. It is about celebrating and promoting diversity and avoiding the ‘sameness’ that afflicts too many towns in the modern world. It is about finding a place in a changing world where values are often uncertain and the needs and aspirations of local communities can often be overlooked."^[5]

See also

• Slow architecture

References

1. ^ Parkins, Wendy; Craig, Geoffrey (2006). Slow Living. Berg. p. 79. ISBN 9781845201609. http://books.google.com/books?id=QNZ_XU85jLkC&pg=PA79. 
2. ^ http://www.cittaslow.org.uk/page.php?Pid1=3&Pid2=6&PLv=2
3. ^ Robinson, Peter; Heitmann, Sine; Dieke, Peter U.C. (2011). Research Themes for Tourism. CABI. p. 118. ISBN 9781845936846. http://books.google.com/books?id=219aFMSRPqgC&pg=PA118. 
4. ^ http://news.sbs.co.kr/section_news/news_read.jsp?news_id=N1000348056 Slow cities for the first time as Asian nations. (아시아 최초로 '국제 슬로시티' 지정) 2007-12-10
5. ^ http://www.cittaslow.org.uk/index.php?Pid1=1&PLv=1

External links

• Homepage of the Cittaslow movement
• Cittaslow International Network (lists certified Cittaslow cities by country)