Slow Living in a Globalizing World: Cittaslow Movement in Turkey

Abstract

Globalization effected cities in different ways. One of the impacts of globalization on urban areas is transforming cities to the homogeneous areas. Concerns about the long-term effects of development have given rise to movements, such as Cittaslow - consisting of the word Italian "citta" (city) and English "slow"- promote alternative strategies. Slow City Movement is a growing network of minor cities around the world, and it aims taking action to resist processes of standardization, homogenization and mass production. Cittaslow movement stems from slow food movement and offers a new approach to cities. It focuses on locality and it is working towards sustaining the qualities of life in cities. It was first born in Italy then outspread around the world in a short time. In 2018, Cittaslow International Network has 241 cities present in 30 countries Europe to Asia around the world. Today, there are 15 slow cities including Seferihisar, Akyaka, Yenipazar, Gökçeada, Tarakli, Vize, Yalvaç, Perşembe, Halfeti, Şavşat, Uzundere, Gerze, Eğirdir, Göynük and Mudurnu in Turkey. Cittaslow's goals include a number of criteria from population to the environmental policies like population less than 50.000, protecting the natural environment for residents and traditional architectural forms, reducing motor vehicle traffic, encouraging high-quality traditional food and drink, the organic agriculture, using the renewable energy, etc. This chapter, based on domestic and foreign literature, highlights the importance of Cittaslow movement for creating sustainable cities and Cittaslow practices in Turkey. It aims to draw up a framework about the Cittaslow movement in Turkey for creating sustainable cities. Moreover since Cittaslow movement has modified the contents of locality and changed it into a global localism, cities have become more competitive. For this reason, this chapter tries to discuss whether slow city movement supports slow philosophy and the local development or it is a part of globalization at the local level. In other words, it tries to find an answer how competitiveness and slow philosophy go typically together. © Peter Lang AG 2019.