“Cittaslow”: Quality of Life and Visitor Experiences

ABSTRACT

Cittaslow (‘slow-towns'), a network of 182 towns, is contributing to local urban development. The aim is to improve the quality of life in slow-towns. These improvements also have the potential of developing tourism as the towns become more “visitor-friendly”. Data were collected through a combination of face-to-face interviews, workshops and observations conducted in Vize, one of the nine Cittaslow destinations in Turkey. The Cittaslow indicators, projects and events are used to illustrate the power of the network. The study describes numerous ongoing projects that will positively affect the quality of life for residents in the community and enhance visitor experience. Findings suggest that the residents are supportive of the initiatives and are becoming more involved in the Cittaslow activities. Tourism is found to be at the initial stages of its development.

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank Vize Municipality for their contribution to this article.

Notes

1 See, for example, Milutinovic (2007, p. 7). The author suggests Ludlow is a great case to show that the CittaSlow movement is not about to be trapped in the past.

2 The towns of Shinan and Jangheung are suspended from membership (Cittaslow, 2013b).

3 The six principles are the environment (waste, pollution and recycling), infrastructure (open and public space, seating and access), technologies and facilities for urban quality (gardens/parks and historic buildings), safeguarding autochthonous production (markets, local food and crafts, arts, healthy eating and local identity), hospitality (facilities for tourists and community life) and raising awareness (local involvement and council–community communications) (Semmens & Freeman, 2012).

4 The objective measures of quality of time include economic factors (income, employment opportunities, and job security), social factors (recreation opportunities, family structure, social networks, cultural integrity) and historical infrastructure and environmental factors (crowding, noise, litter, traffic congestion, driving hazards, and air or water pollution) (Andereck & Nyaupane, 2011).

5 See, for example, Dolan, Layard, and Metcalfe (2011) for Office for National Statistics in the UK and Benjamin, Heffetz, Kimball, and Szembrot (2012) for National Bureau of Economic Research in the USA, and Bache (2013) for the European Union.

6 Mayer and Knox (2009) discuss Cittaslow in connection to quality of life and Hoeschele (2010) examines Cittaslow and the concept of abundance.