Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
The Charter does not give information on the self-assessment other than in its Ap-
pendix E which refers to 'cards'—presumably based on the goals or polices of the
Charter, which are each assessed on a scale of 1 to 3. The applicant towns assess
themselves against this scale, attributing a high score to those goals they are already
addressing, a medium score to those they have identified and are in the early stages
of addressing and a low score to those they are not pursuing (Cittaslow U K.
2011
).
Applications to join the network must be submitted by a recognized agency in each
town, such as the local council, an established community group or business as-
sociation. In order to be accredited with Cittaslow status a town must score at least
50 % of the set of weighted goals in a self-assessment exercise that is overseen by a
certifying body, usually in
loco
. Certification confirms that the town applying to be
a member of the movement has already put in place policies which accord with the
movement's philosophy. With reference to the certification procedure, Mayer and
Knox (
2006
, p. 327) have remarked that the process favours applicants that have
already developed programs that fit into the Cittaslow criteria.
In the case of the U.K., most towns scored between 50 and 60 % overall against
the 55 goals when they first joined the movement (Cittaslow U.K.
2011
). An ap-
plication fee of ﾣ 500 is charged to cover the costs of the initial assessment exercise.
On being granted membership an annual membership fee is levied in accordance
with the size of the town. The annual membership fee is payable to Cittaslow In-
ternational and the national coordination committee in the cases of Italy, the U.K.,
Germany, Netherlands, Nordic countries (Norway, Denmark and Sweden), South
Korea, Poland, Spain and the U.S.A. Current membership fees range from ﾣ 600
for towns with less than 1,000 residents to ﾣ 3,500 for towns with more than 30,000
residents (Cittslow U.K.
2011
). As a means of confirming that the movement's phi-
losophy will be 'embedded in the municipality', on receipt of its Cittaslow status
the local government body concerned is required to include its logo in its letterhead.
Obtaining Cittaslow accreditation is confirmation that a town has adopted its
philosophy and has achieved many of the goals
before
becoming a member. It also
implies a continuing commitment to developing this philosophy
after
official recog-
nition, through those policies, projects, activities and events which have been for-
mally stated in the Charter and assessment exercise. Members are re-evaluated every
four years by means of a self-assessment report addressing how and whether they
have fulfilled their previously stated goals and added programs to conform to the
Charter's policy objectives. A joint committee comprising members of the local gov-
ernment body and representatives of Cittaslow reviews the self-assessment exercise,
and advises on the setting of goals for the following four year period. The stringency
of this exercise serves a dual purpose: not only does it aim to ensure that the mem-
ber towns are continuing to develop the Cittaslow philosophy, but also that they do
not become members of the movement for short-term marketing benefits. However,
there is some doubt as to the regularity of this exercise in some centres, with differ-
ent sources having claimed that it is conducted once every 3 or 4 years, while others
have claimed that the assessment occurs 'periodically' (Miele
2008
, p. 140).
