L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano L e t ' s f a c e i t , t h e trend today is all about "taking it easy" and enjoy- ing life at a differ- ent pace. From vacations to food, there are many "slow" movements around, and I reckon a lot of us are directly familiar with some, but did you know that cities can be "slow," too? Born in Orvieto in 1999 and inspired by the philoso- phy of Slow Food, the Cit- tàslow movement began as an experiment in applying the idea of "good, clean, and fair" to the daily life of small t o w n s . F i r s t p r o p o s e d b y P a o l o S a t u r n i n i , t h e n mayor of Greve in Chianti, and formalized with the may- ors of Bra, Orvieto, and Posi- t a n o t o g e t h e r w i t h C a r l o Petrini, the founder of Slow Food, its aim was to defend the local character, rhythms, and environment of Italian borghi at a time when even rural areas were beginning to experience the same pres- sures as big cities. The initia- tive quickly evolved into a formal network of municipal- ities committed to preserving the quality of life through concrete policies and behav- iors. Today, Cittàslow counts n e a r l y t h r e e h u n d r e d m e m b e r t o w n s a c r o s s more than thirty coun- tries, from Italy to South Korea and from Poland to the United States. Membership is limited to towns under fifty thousand residents, which must demonstrate compli- ance with a detailed set of requirements that measure environmental performance, infrastructure, urban life, agricultural policy, hospitali- ty, and governance. Munici- palities undergo an initial assessment and periodic re- evaluations to confirm their continued adherence to the charter, which means that being part of the network entails long-term engage- ment. The ethos of Cittàslow is expressed through measur- able actions such as traffic reduction, the creation of pedestrian areas and bike paths, the protection of his- torical centers, and the pro- motion of renewable energy a n d r e c y c l i n g . T o w n s a r e encouraged to support local farmers, artisans, and tradi- tional markets, ban genetical- l y m o d i f i e d c r o p s , a n d strengthen cultural and edu- cational initiatives that pro- mote civic pride. Rather than representing a fixed model, Cittàslow operates as a flexi- b l e f r a m e w o r k t h a t e a c h community adapts to its own geography and culture: what unites them all is the convic- tion that small towns can be laboratories of sustainability, capable of combining inno- vation and continuity. Italy remains at the core of t h i s n e t w o r k , n o t o n l y because it is where the move- ment began but also because i t c o n t i n u e s t o h o s t t h e largest number of certified towns – more than seventy at present – with a list that goes from well-known destina- tions such as Amalfi, Trani, and Orvieto to lesser-known p l a c e s l i k e C i s t e r n i n o i n Puglia, Asolo in Veneto, and Todi in Umbria. Each case offers a slightly different i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f w h a t i t means to be a "slow city:" in Greve in Chianti, the first town to adopt the label, poli- cies focus on protecting the rural landscape, regulating tourist flows, and preserving small-scale wine production; Orvieto, one of the founding members, has introduced traffic restrictions, promoted sustainable mobility, and revitalized its historic center through cultural program- ming. In southern regions such as Puglia and Basili- cata, the model has been linked to the revival of tradi- tional crafts, agritourism, and local food systems that s t r e n g t h e n c o m m u n i t y economies while maintaining authenticity. As said, the Cittàslow con- cept has been embraced in m a n y p a r t s o f t h e w o r l d , i n c l u d i n g t h e U n i t e d States, where two towns in California – Sonoma and Sebastopol – have joined the network, adapting the principles to the context of West Coast environmental- ism and local food culture. Sonoma, which entered in 2 0 0 9 , u s e d t h e C i t t à s l o w framework to reinforce its c o m m i t m e n t t o f a r m e r s ' markets, small wineries, and biodiversity projects such as Pollinator Pals and Water- b o x x r e f o r e s t a t i o n . Sebastopol followed a year later, integrating the idea of the "slow city" with its strong identity as an arts communi- ty, home to independent gal- leries and a documentary film festival. In both cases, the emphasis is very much on s h a p i n g u r b a n p o l i c i e s around well-being, sustain- ability, and civic engage- ment. Internationally, Cittàslow towns vary in their motiva- tions but share similar chal- lenges. In Poland and South Korea, membership has often been linked to rural develop- ment and tourism diversifi- cation, while in northern Europe, the focus tends to be on urban design and envi- r o n m e n t a l i n n o v a t i o n . Despite these differences, the movement appeals for its pragmatic balance between cultural identity and modern governance and because it o f f e r s a m i d d l e g r o u n d between purely preservation- ist approaches and those that treat small towns as tourist commodities. Academic interest in the movement has grown, too, as researchers began viewing Cittàslow as a policy tool a l i g n e d w i t h t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s ' S u s t a i n a b l e D e v e l o p m e n t G o a l 1 1 , which promotes sustainable cities and communities. Its p r i n c i p l e s , h u m a n - s c a l e urbanism, ecological respon- sibility, and social inclusion, mirror many of the objectives now discussed in contempo- rary urban planning, from 15-minute cities to participa- tory governance. Very inter- e s t i n g l y , i t h a s a l s o b e e n pointed out how the Italian experience shows how small and medium-sized towns can play a significant role in sus- tainability transitions that are often dominated by large metropolitan narratives. Of course, there are cau- t i o n s : s o m e s t u d i e s , f o r example, note that without careful management, "slow" i n i t i a t i v e s r i s k d r i f t i n g toward exclusivity, ending up serving visitors rather than residents, a potential issue the Cittàslow charter, howev- er, explicitly addresses by including social cohesion, accessibility, and citizen par- ticipation among its evalua- tion categories. The global spread of Cit- tàslow demonstrates that the questions it raises – how to m a i n t a i n l o c a l i d e n t i t y , ensure livability, and balance tourism with daily life – are not confined to Italy: the same tension between speed and quality, efficiency and well-being, exists in small towns across continents. The difference is that Cittàslow offers a structure through which these issues can be addressed collectively. Twenty-five years after its founding, the association c o n t i n u e s t o e v o l v e , i n a r e f l e c t i o n o f b o t h t h e resilience and the fragility of the small-town model that inspired it. Born in the Ital- ian countryside and now pre- sent pretty much in every c o r n e r o f t h e w o r l d , i t remains an example of how ideas shaped in local contexts can travel widely without los- ing their meaning. In a global landscape often dominated by speed and uniformity, the network represents a small but persistent reminder that progress can also be mea- s u r e d i n t i m e w e l l s p e n t , spaces well cared for, and communities that know how to value what makes them special. CHIARA D'ALESSIO Orvieto, the first "slow city" in the world (Photo: Steve Luck/Dreamstime) From Orvieto to Sonoma: the global journey of Italy's Slow Cities movement ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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