The effects of membership in the Polish National Cittaslow Network

Abstract

Research background: Identification of the effects achieved by cities owing to their membership in the Cittaslow network plays a role not only in the development of every city, but also in the growth of national and international Cittaslow networks. Being a member of the Cittaslow network, and thereby adopting the slow city development model, affects the process of urban management by directing it towards such activities that agree with the assumed development concept. The achieved effects, manifested in the social, economic, and spatial spheres, contribute to the improved quality of life in a slow city, which in turn influences its development.
 Purpose of the article: Identification of the effects of membership of Polish cities in the Polish National Cittaslow Network.
 Methods: The study included a diagnostic survey method. The diagnostic survey based on a standardized survey questionnaire was used to identify the effects achieved by the Polish cities in the Cittaslow network. The survey was addressed to mayors of all member cities in the Polish National Cittaslow Network. The survey was conducted in May 2020.
 Findings & value added: The most important effects to date of cities being members of the Polish National Cittaslow Network, and their scale, have been investigated. An attempt was made to determine in which areas of urban life the effects become observable in a relatively short time (a few years), and which effects are attainable after a longer period of time. Major barriers to obtaining the desired effects were also identified. The research fills in a gap in this scope, as it provides a complex analysis of the effects of the membership of cities in the national Cittaslow network as seen by the city authorities. The results can serve to make comparative analyses of the effects achieved on different levels of development in the national Cittaslow networks, particular-ly in view of the fact that the Polish National Cittaslow Network is the second largest network in the world with respect to the number of member cities.

Activities Undertaken in the Member Cities of the Polish National Cittaslow Network in the Area of “Energy and Environmental Policy”

“…There are articles available in the literature in which the authors attempt to evaluate the effects achieved by Cittaslow cities in selected areas in which cities function [5,73,74] or just in selected slow cities [7,23,[75][76][77]. In contrast, there is a scarcity of papers dedicated to effects achieved in all cities that belong to the national Cittaslow network in a given country [37]. Furthermore, there is a lack of research on the results of certification and recertification of member cities of a given national Cittaslow network (either the Polish one or those in other countries).…”

“…Thus, it is unsurprising that membership in the Cittaslow network is perceived by cities as an opportunity to develop and to improve the standard of living of their citizens. Among possible outcomes of a city's access to the Cittaslow network, the following are distinguished [14,36,37] The above considerations prove that cities count on achieving benefits in different spheres: economic, social, ecological, spatial or image-related ones. As for the environmen-tal (natural) sphere, which this study is dedicated to, a chance to achieve the following effects is often emphasized [25,30,38]: To summarize, the objective of the international Cittaslow association is to promote and disseminate the idea of "good living" by applying in small cities specific solutions in the fields of ecological policy, infrastructure, urban space, hospitality, social cohesion and partnership [29].…”

Architectural and Urban Attractiveness of Small Towns: A Case Study of Polish Coastal Cittaslow Towns on the Pomeranian Way of St. James

“…Balance [13] Promotion of public sustainable urban planning (passive house, building materials, etc.) Balance [14] Recovery/creation of productive green areas with productive plants and/or of fruit within the urban perimeter Relationship [15] Determination of zones for the sale of local products-obligatory Buildings [16] Protection/promotion of extraordinary shops-creation of natural shopping centers-obligatory Buildings [17] Cubic meters of cement (net in infrastructure)/green urban area -Towns applying to join Cittaslow commit themselves to actions aimed at improving the quality of urban life. These actions are verified during periodical audits of their fulfillment of the criteria.…”

Popüler Kıyı Destinasyonlarında Yer Alan Sakin Şehirlerin Tanıtım Filmlerinin Analizi (Analysis of Promotional Movies of Slow Cities Located in Popular Coastal Destinations)

“…Polonya sakin şehir ağına üye kentlerin, "enerji ve çevre politikası" alanında başlattığı faaliyetlerin değerlendirildiği çalışmada, üyeliklerinin ilk beş yılında bile bu kentlerin doğa dostu ve sürdürülebilir projelere odaklandığı gözlemlenmiştir (Wierzbicka, 2022). Kentlerin Cittaslow ağına katılmasının sonuçları üzerine yapılan bir çalışmada, tanıtım, altyapı gelişimi ve finansal ilerlemenin elde edildiği tespit edilmiştir (Farelnik, Stanowicka & Wierzbicka, 2021). Küçükergin ve Öztürk (2020), sakin şehirlerdeki yerli halkın sosyal değişim algılarını inceleyerek, bu algının cinsiyete ve kalış süresine bağlı olarak değişiklik gösterdiğini tespit etmiştir.…”