Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
creating more fulfilling, pleasurable, relaxing and even sensory patterns of life in
urban places that are part of the movement, especially those linked to traditions.
However they also include many aspects of the current sustainability and greening
movements, in addition to recognizing the need to promote themselves to visitors
and ensure they have positive experiences. Yet what is also clearly essential to the
movement is a specific set of ideas in its charter about what a 'community' is sup-
posed to be, unlike the vague almost motherhood references to the concept that are
never clarified in the New Urbanist mantra as seen in Chap. 2.
The development of local community is based among others, on the ability to share and
recognize their specific traits, of regaining their own identity, visible from the outside and
deeply lived within. (Cittaslow Charter, p. 21)
Since its creation in 1999, Cittaslow has gone beyond its roots in Italy to develop
an organizational structure extending to four continents by 2011. During the same
period, other individual towns have started to work towards developing the means
to conserve and improve their 'unique' qualities, while also responding to the chal-
lenges posed by the increasing competition from regional and national centres as
well as globalization. Indeed, by improving their unique qualities they can counter
one of these challenges by attracting visitors from long distances, thereby turning
the greater spatial interaction possibilities of the contemporary world into an advan-
tage for their economies.
Although membership has increased during the last decade, the Cittaslow move-
ment still remains small. But more towns can be anticipated to join the network
in the future since a number of centres are currently going through the Cittaslow
self-assessment exercise required for membership. By doing so they will be able to
capitalize on their assets and draw upon the experiences of their fellow members in
the network. This may help them prosper and avoid the stagnation of so many other
small centres that have been left behind by economic change. Yet it must be admitted
that not all the threatened small towns in the world have the types of long historic
tradition and distinctive regional ecology seen in Italy that led to unique foods and
ways of life, which means that the movement may have limitations in its potential
for spread. Also an unintended consequence of their focus upon uniqueness, which
has been promoted by the assertive minority of their residents' that support the ideas
and are overwhelmingly middle class, may be an increase in the intensity with which
their town is used, with more people coming to shop, dine and visit the centre. This
may also result in a greater interest in living in these towns, leading property prices
to rise, which is likely to alter the social mix of the town as local low-income resi-
dents may be displaced by new, incoming middle-class residents. However, since
some of the main goals of the movement are to improve hospitality and visitor expe-
rience, as well as to promote their ideas within the population of the member towns,
the participating towns seem well aware of these potential problems.
Cittaslow's future influence is also likely to be felt in other centres which adopt
some of the movement's ideas, even though they are not formal members, or have
left the network. This is increasingly likely to be the case given the spread of other
aspects of the slow living movement that Cittaslow sprang from, as two examples
show: slow money is being used to support local enterprises, especially farming,
