Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
15﻽2
The Origins of Cittaslow
Cittaslow is widely viewed as part of the recent emergence of what amounts to an
international movement that emphasizes slow living. Rather than being a specific
organization, this movement is comprised of many different approaches and indi-
viduals who are reacting to what Harvey ( 1990 ) has described as the 'shortening of
time', or 'time poverty', brought about by the rapid changes and intense contacts
of globalization. Given the pressures of this fast, pressured and constantly intercon-
nected pace of life, with little time to focus on social activities, increasing numbers
of people are advocating a cultural shift towards a slower pace of life. Yet this criti-
cal approach to 'fast', and a re-appraisal of the value of 'slow', cannot be viewed as
only a recent trend; it dates at least as far back as the classical adage festina lente ,
meaning 'make haste slowly' or 'hurry slowly', which is a translation by Svento-
nio from the Greek: ˃πʵυʴʵ βρʱʴʵω˃. However, festina lente re-emerged during
the European Renaissance when, for example, it was the motto of the publisher
Aldus Manutius. Later, the Medici Dukes of Florence (1531-1569) used the idea as
their personal emblem, by a turtle with a snail on its back (Werness 2006 , p. 416).
This symbolized the concept of finding a proper balance between urgency and dili-
gence, which the oxymoron festina lente encapsulates. The concept has also made
its presence felt during more recent social movements, including the emergence
of Romanticism in the context of the Industrial Revolution in Britain in the late
eighteenth century with its reaction against industrialization and an emphasis upon
nature and older forms of life (Honor← 2004 ). In the last decades of the twentieth
century renewed interest in 'slow' as a positive attribute re-emerged, as reflected in
various movements that stressed slow food, slow money, slow reading, slow travel,
slow fashion, slow science, slow design, slow schools, slow cities and the values
of taking time to appreciate things, therefore leading a slower and more contempla-
tive lifestyle. These ideas have been summarized in the Slow Planet website (SP)
and in Honor←'s comprehensive topic, In Praise of Slow , which has been translated
into over thirty languages, while specific Slow Guides exist on how to live such a
lifestyle in such cities as Melbourne. London, Sydney and Dublin ( see, for example,
Howard 2009 )﻽ These various attempts to improve the quality of life, both today
and in the future, view 'slow' as a characteristic to be enhanced, rather than over-
come—perhaps paralleling the Winter City advocates (Chap. 8) that stress the need
to embrace, not fear winter. Collectively these ideas have been referred to as the
'slow movement' or 'slow living' Many reasons account for the recent growth in
the popularity of this movement, including a release from the pressures of daily life,
and providing an alternative to the homogenizing processes of globalization (May
and Thrift 2001 ; Parkins and Craig 2006 ). Yet rather than seeking to stop the clock,
or returning to the past, the Slow Movement reflects on the present and the past to
find alternative and better futures to the current trends, so as to improve life-styles
and the liveability of places.
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