Urszula KACZMAREK, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan / Poland, Poland
Tomasz KACZMAREK, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan / Poland, Poland
The presentation introduces the principles of operation and development of the global network of small towns - Cittàslow. The Cittàslow Movement was founded in Italy in 1999 and targets small towns of less than 50,000 inhabitants. The main goal of Cittàslow is to preserve the specificity of small towns, their local traditions and the surrounding cultural landscape. Knox (2005) sees the movement as an example of the rediscovery of the culture of a place and a bottom-up response to globalization. So far, around 270 cities from 30 countries around the world follow the Cittàslow principle (most in Italy - 87, in Poland - 35 and in Germany - 22). The idea of slow city as a strategy of sustainable local development was presented on the example of German, Italian and Polish towns. The research was conducted in several small towns in northern Germany, southern Italy and eastern Poland. The method consisted of standardized in-depth interviews with city mayors and surveys among their inhabitants. The result is different models of implementing the idea of Cittàslow in small towns, which result from different, not only national (including cultural), but also regional and local conditions. Research shows the important role of local leaders, especially mayors, in the Cittàslow implementation process, as well as the different attitudes and actions of local communities that contribute to the success of this process.
Mots clés : Cittàslow|slow city|small towns development|local strategies|local leaders
A104007UK