Slowly does it...

Roger East discovers the joys of slow living.

Once upon a recent time, a handful of Italian mayors mulled over their shared belief in the value of local traditions, and their desire to resist the globalisation of culture. Could these values become principles for urban policy? More Italian communities took up the challenge, focusing on quality of life. It coalesced into Cittaslow - the ‘Slow Cities’ movement, a conscious parallel with its ‘Slow Food’ cousin which grew out from the country’s kitchens, its restaurants and their enthusiastic customers.

Now starting to make its first tentative impact outside its native Italy, Cittaslow seeks to give local communities, and local authorities, a kind of touchstone for improving and promoting urban values. Through a process of admission, independent certification and training, towns can progress up a series of steps to full Cittaslow status. It’s a continuous improvement programme; it could take years to complete.

There’s no hard and fast formula, but it helps to be small. Towns of 50,000 or less, with a sense of history, centres not yet wholly taken over by the chain stores, might be the most likely British adherents: Lewes, perhaps, or Ludlow, or Totnes?

Cittaslow sets great store by local historical tradition, and indeed by culinary distinctiveness and the use of local produce. Other goals are clearly environmental. Turning over more streets to pedestrian use, and improving public transport and cycling provision, are usually part of the mix, shifting the balance away from the car in urban transport. This runs nicely in tandem with tighter controls on air pollution, as does the emphasis on preserving and extending green spaces. Using renewables is important, as are energy-efficient buildings, composting and recycling and curbs on noise and light pollution.

The movement is, ultimately, all about local identity, quality of life, and community involvement. But it’s no conservative force. As Cittaslow’s Rafaella Del Pero rightly points out, it encourages citizens to “express their passion for the place they live in and responsibility for its future” - values that lie at the core of sustainable development. - Roger East

21 May 2003

Roger East