Seferihisar Quickly Becoming a 'Cittaslow'

Seferihisar, a city in İzmir province, has been invited to the Cittaslow International Coordination Committee, held in Chianti, Italy, on Nov. 27 and 28 in what Seferihisar Mayor Tunç Soyer sees as concrete progress in the city's quest to be named Turkey's first "slow city."

Soyer, speaking with the Anatolia news agency, announced that city officials will attend the committee meeting to submit a dossier concerning the city's application to join the slow city network.

"The idea [of slow cities] was first developed in Chianti in 1999, and over the next 10 years, many cities in Europe and Asia adopted the movement. In Turkey, we are the first to apply to join the slow city movement. We see it as an emerging global trend. Our schedule in Italy will be a busy one. We will submit our candidacy file and make a presentation about the criteria we have fulfilled and the projects we have developed. We will also meet with Cittaslow Director Pier Giorgio Oliveti. Then, we will have a meeting with the first Cittaslow president and former Chianti mayor, Paolo Saturnini, and with current Mayor Alberto Bencista. We will also pay visits to the artisans who have implemented the slow city principles in this town. On Nov. 27, all Cittaslow cities will convene, and an official meetings will be held on Nov. 28, '' Soyer explained.

Soyer noted that this is an important visit for Seferihisar, and he is excited for the chance to get to know Cittaslow officials. He added that he will have the opportunity to see several Cittaslow cities. "This is an important opportunity for the promotion of Seferihisar's candidacy. We have been prepared well for the meetings, and we have a good presentation. I hope that we will be given the snail logo, which is the symbol of slow cities, in 2010. After the meeting in Italy, the Cittaslow committee will visit our city and conduct examinations," he said.

Cittaslow, literally "slow city," is a movement promoting a slow and simple life by redesigning a city or a district to reject the fast-paced, homogenized world so often seen in other cities throughout the world, while at the same protecting quality of life, as the official Web site describes the vision of the movement. The slow city movement also values the traditional way of doing things and attempts to help the survival of local customs, dishes and rituals.

Today 14 countries have at least one city which is designated as a slow city. In many countries, including Australia, South Korea, Spain, Holland, Germany, Scotland and Sweden, they are widespread. Slow cities are characterized by a kind of simple life, valuing the traditional ways of doing things. These cities stand up against the uniformity of life in the fast lane as it is lived around the world. Slow cities have less traffic, less noise and fewer crowds.

The fulfillment of 55 criteria is necessary for certification as a slow city. These criteria are categorized into six groups: environmental policy, infrastructure, quality of the urban fabric, encouragement of local products and produce, hospitality and community, and slow city awareness among residents.

Source: http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-193990-seferihisar-quickly-becoming-a-cittaslow.html