In a world that moves too fast, there are cities that decided to start taking it slow.
Have you ever heard of slow cities? The term is not just a way to describe cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen or Vienna where things seem to be a bit slower than in crazy metropolitan places like New York, London or Shanghai. Slow cities are an actual thing, and they have been for decades, going about with their lives slowly and cheeringly while we were piled on top of each other on an underground train.
Cittaslow is an international network of cities where living is easy, as reported on their website. The movement started in 1999 in the country of the dolce vita, Italy. It was the brainchild of Paolo Saturnini, former Mayor of Greve in Chianti, a little town in Tuscany. The network grew exponentially since Saturnini’s intuition that the world needed to slow down and now includes 276 cities around the world, including in China, Colombia and Australia.
But what is a slow city?
The idea of building a slow city is to improve the quality of life of people that live and work there. The idea mimics the principles of slow food – another concept created in Italy by Carlo Petrini, a journalist and former mayor of the city of Bra that found fame after taking part in the protest against the opening of McDonald’s in Rome in the 1980s.
The ultimate goal is to create a serene and calm environment where one can live life at its fullest, far from stress, anxiety and the rat-race. The towns involved share common features and the same goal: to create a place where living is good. One of the objectives is to preserve the spirit of community and share traditional knowledge with the new generations to preserve the regions’ cultural heritage.
The movement wants to be a vaccine against the fast-paced way of life promoted by modern society.
We are looking for towns where men are still curious about the old times, towns rich in theatres, squares, cafes, workshops, restaurants and spiritual places, towns with untouched landscapes and charming craftsman where people are still able to recognise the slow course of the seasons and their genuine products respecting tastes, health and spontaneous customs.
From Cittaslow’s manifesto
Every city, town or village can apply to become part of the Cittaslow network but there are rules, of course. Slow cities need to embrace these five pillars:
The positive side of slowness
For the creators of Cittaslow movement, life can’t be good if it’s not lived at a slow pace. Rethinking our behaviour doesn’t just mean changing our lifestyle and our routine, but also the way we produce and consume. “Let’s start by taking back the time to grow, socialise, appreciate culture, nature and healthy local food, remembering that every living being has the right to follow their own natural rhythms”, they say.
Circular economy
We all know by now, a circular economy is the ultimate goal for a healthy planet. Recycling, reusing and consuming consciously are a duty and not just a choice in a slow city.
Resilience
“Enhancing what we are and what we have, without destroying ourselves” is one of the primary objectives of Cittaslow.
Social justice
Division and prejudice have no place in the movement: “There is no prosperity if it is not for everyone, without discrimination of any kind.”
Sustainability and culture
The Cittaslow movement believes that to really stop climate change we need to protect local cultures and heritages, not only the natural environment. The cities part of Cittaslow are built on a cluster of resilient micro-economies committed to sustainability.
If you want to visit a city, town or village that is part of the movement – or even move to one – there are numerous slow cities to visit around Europe. In Britain, the towns that are part of the movement are Aylsham (Norfolk), Berwick upon Tweed (Northumberland), Llangollen (Denbighshire), Mold (Flintshire) and Perth (Scotland). We’ll see you on the train.
To know more about Cittaslow’s movement visit https://www.cittaslow.org/.
