How Cittaslow Works in the UK

The process of joining Cittaslow is fairly simple - and starts with a self-assessment against a set of weighted criteria, or goals.

Towns that are eligible to become members score 50 percent or higher in this initial assessment process, and then have their applications evaluated by Cittaslow UK and ratified by Cittaslow International, before they are accepted into membership.

An application fee of £500 is charged to cover the costs of the initial assessment process, and an annual membership fee is paid by member towns, with income shared between Cittaslow UK and the Italian headquarters. The cost of this annual memberhip fee varies according to the population of the member town.

How you work towards membership of the Cittaslow network will very much depend on the situation in your town. If you have a Town Council in place, then your Town Council should really make the final application, but we are happy to accept applications from partnerships or other groups, providing elected members are involved.

The Cittaslow philosophy is meant to be 'embedded in the municipality', and you won't be able to achieve this unless you have won support from elected members.

Cittaslow is still a relatively new concept in the UK, but it is already proving its worth in member towns. The Cittaslow way of working helps catalyse and create partnerships and get people and groups working together in new and effective ways.

As a way of focussing attention and effort, Cittaslow has a lot to offer - many of the Cittaslow Goals map closely onto Best Value and Continual Performance Assessment indicators, but the process is well suited to smaller towns that are seeking a holistic approach to developing their communities in sustainable and people-friendly ways that make sense in the 21st century.

Do please get in touch and ask questions - or have a quick look at the Case Study section, which will be growing steadily as more towns join and more projects get rolling. 

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