Slow city model as an example of local development

By preventing fast life, a quieter local environment and city life with a higher quality of life and thus a more peaceful local environment and city life can be created, instead of the hustle and bustle that occurs due to business activity in big cities. In this regard, the Cittaslow - "Slow City" model, which emerged in Italy in 1999 as an example of local development, aims to make cities that are entitled to use the snail logo by meeting the Cittaslow criteria more livable. Cities with a population of less than 50,000 that can receive this title must have certain political, cultural and economic potentials and meet the Cittaslow criteria in order to achieve real development. The first place in our country to meet these criteria and receive the title of Slow City was Izmir's Seferihisar district, and it has held this title since 2009. 22 cities in Turkey have received this title. The fact that municipalities, which play an active role in local government, have taken on this responsibility by increasing their activities in infrastructure and superstructure works enables local development to be achieved. The biggest goal in local development is to produce resources and to make existing but idle resources usable and productive. By protecting natural resources, Slow Cities act with a sustainable production approach. One of the most basic principles is to offer a better quality of life to the people living in the region and to transfer all the existing values to the future by preserving them in line with the principles of sustainability, and to preserve the local texture while doing this. It is aimed to put an end to a monotonous and fast lifestyle, to protect local culture and values, to provide a natural nutrition environment in a pristine natural environment for a healthy life, as well as to ensure local development by supporting local producers. While achieving these goals, it is envisaged that every segment of society, especially children and young people, will be included in this movement. The Slow City model, which is an international union, is determined by a statute and is binding on cities that accept the Slow City movement. This charter includes important issues such as the working system of the Slow City movement, its working bodies, and what should be done in the process of joining the union. The main purpose of determining this thesis topic is to reveal that the Slow City application, which aims to create a healthy and happy standard of living in the light of these values by preserving the existing cultural values of the people without losing their own identity, can also be a local development model. While presenting the urbanization model put forward by the Slow City movement, which has increased significantly both in our country and in the world, we will try to discuss with different examples the positive contributions that applications in this direction will make to the economy, development and development of the city and the region in which it is located. The way will be paved for the use of local resources by making the most of these values, without losing local identities and originalities. Using local resources will open new business lines and provide very important job opportunities to local residents. With these opportunities and business areas, significant contributions will be made to the employment of the people of the region, and it will become a society with high moral motivation and a society that produces rather than consumes. When we look at the history of the Slow City model, where cultural richness is highlighted, the positive effects that the practices in the Slow Cities around the world have had on the people can be clearly seen. The increasing number of cities receiving the title of Slow City and the fact that there are many cities trying to complete the criteria to become a Slow City clearly show the success of this city model. Slow City practices not only contribute greatly to the economy of that city, but also have a significant impact on the development of the country and contribute to the increase of national income per capita. In this thesis, the contributions of the Slow City model to local development as well as to national development will be touched upon. With Slow City practices that support sustainable development, the production stages of all kinds of products that have received geographical indications in the region also contribute to local development. While the production of products with geographical indication creates new employment areas, it also activates the tourism economy of that city. Because studies and activities in this direction make a very important contribution to the promotion of that city and region. From an antithetical point of view, globalization seems to be against fast life and technology, and in our thesis, although it is considered nice and positive to act quickly by using them, when we combine the use and evaluation of local resources with technology, very important results emerge for local development. In short, the Slow City model is a model that will enable local people to develop by using their own resources without losing their own identity. There are many factors underlying this development, from increased employment to increasing tourism revenues, from promotion to marketing, from city architecture to changing life preferences.