Slow cities sustainable place in a fast world

This article examines the Slow Food and Slow City movements as alternative approaches to urban economic development. We analyze the movements from the perspective of urban regime theory
and argue that the Slow City agenda represents a viable model for alternative urban development
that is especially sensitive and responsive to the complicated interdependencies between the
goals for economic development, environmental protection, and social equity. Following the
recent discussion about alternative economic development strategies (Imbroscio, 2003; Rast,
2005; Stone, 2004a), we aim to advance the understanding of unorthodox approaches to urban
development and heed the call by Imbroscio (2003) to focus on strategies for local economic
vitality that contribute to more equality and community stability. In addition, we aim to explain
the Slow City cases as approaches to urban development that do not merely focus on communitybased economic development, but also on issues of sustainability and social equity. From our
perspective, the Slow Food movement created the ideological platform for a city-based spin-off
that constitutes the grassroots local implementation of the principles associated with livability
and quality of life.
Founded in 1986, the Slow Food movement has grown into an international association with
local chapters worldwide. In contrast, the Slow City movement is mainly a European concept
with member towns primarily in Italy, Germany, Norway, and England. Even though Slow Cities
are primarily a European phenomenon, the movement can provide U.S.-based urban scholars
and planning practitioners with ideas about how to implement and pursue an alternative urban development agenda. The movement’s underlying assumptions are rooted in local sustainability
and address the interdependencies between the environment, the economy, and equity: a good
example of Campbell’s “three-E” framework (Campbell, 1996).

source:

https://www.cittaslow.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/SlowCities.SustainablePlacesFastWorld.pdf