Cittaslow is an organisation founded inItaly and inspired by theslow food movement. 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.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
Cittaslow was founded inItaly in October 1999, following a meeting organised by the mayor ofGreve in Chianti,Tuscany.[8] A 54-point charter was developed, encouraging high quality local food and drink, general conviviality and the opposition to cultural standardisation.[8] In 2001, 28 Italian towns were signed up to the pledge, certified by trained operatives of Cittaslow.[9] The first Slow City in the English-speaking world wasLudlow,England, in 2003.[10] The movement expanded broadly beyond Italy and, 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 ofCowichan Bay in Canada became the North American continent's first Cittaslow town.[citation needed] In June 2011, Gökçeada in Turkey became the first and only Cittaslow island.[11] Nearly a decade later in October 2020,Izmir,Turkey's 3rd metropolitan municipality, has become The First Cittaslow Metropolis of the World.[12]
There are three categories of membership: Cittaslow town (population less than 50,000); Cittaslow Supporter (population more than 50,000);[13] and Cittaslow Friend (individual or family).[14]
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.[citation needed]
The first town in England to become a Cittaslow city (and the first in the English-speaking world) wasLudlow[10] in November 2003;[15] the first in Wales wasMold.[15] There are currently three towns in the UK that are members.[16][Disagrees with five named in the list.]
By 2007, several slow cities had been introduced acrossSouth Korea.[17]
There are 50 goals and principles that each Cittaslow town commits to work to achieve. They serve as benchmarks to improve the quality of life in each city.
