Cittaslow (literally Slow City) is a movement founded in Italy in October of 1999. The inspiration of Cittaslow was the Slow Food organization. Cittaslow’s goals include improving the quality of life in towns while resisting “the fast-lane, homogenized world so often seen in other cities throughout the world” — as the official slowmovement.com description puts it. Celebrating and supporting diversity of culture and the specialties of a town and its hinterland are core Cittaslow values.
Cittaslow is part of a cultural trend known as the Slow movement.
There are 50 goals and principles that each Cittaslow town commits to work to achieve. Although there will always be place for improvement these goals serve as tangible benchmarks to improve the quality of life in the city.[2].
The main aims of the movement are:
- making life better for everyone living in an urban environment
- improving the quality of life in the cities
- resisting the homogenization and globalization of towns around the globe
- protecting the environment
- promoting cultural diversity and uniqueness of individual cities
- provide inspiration for a healthier lifestyle
“Cittaslow is about more than a set of 50 goals and principles. It is a way of thinking. It is about caring for your town and the people who live and work in it or visit it. It is about celebrating and promoting diversity and avoiding the ‘sameness’ that afflicts too many towns in the modern world. It is about finding a place in a changing world where values are often uncertain and the needs and aspirations of local communities can often be overlooked.”[3]