Evaluation of urban life quality in terms of slow city municipal services: Case of Seferihisar

Changing urban life caused by globalization has become more complicated with the developments in communication and transportation technologies; time and space perception in everyday life has been transformed. Controllable time and space perception led to elimination of spatial obstacles easily; and this result creates cities, which are similar to each other and which are getting more crowded, and accelerated individual lives. Changing lifestyles, standardized cities, while carrying tendency to eliminate the identity of local communities, at the same time, they reduce the urban life quality of individuals. The urban quality of life which is determined by the common interaction and development of economic, social and natural environment is effected by the local government policy. Hence, municipalities have important responsibilities to improve the urban quality of life and ensure its continuity. Movement of 'slow city', considered as a local government model, which also offers alternative solutions for the local government in recent years, is mainly based on the idea that making the city, in which local communities live, a better and livable place. In this study, a research model is developed with the aim of determining of urban quality of life performance as a result of 'slow city' practices; monitoring changes; revealing the factors, which affect the urban life quality. A field research was made in 6 central neighborhoods in Seferihisar district depending on the variables consisting of 7 main categories and 27 of hypothesis, which are under these categories. With the help of evaluated data obtained from field research, and with the help of 't test' it is examined that if there is any significal changes in the urban quality of life of the local communities after their city became a 'slow city'. In order to find out whether there is a differentness in the evaluation of the participants related to indicators according to the demographic indicators, 't test' an 'ANOVA' analysis were done. According to the results; after the slow city practices, it is seen that there is a increase in the urban quality of life of local communities. This increases are mostly seen in the indicators of 'Policies for Hospitality, Awareness and Training"; minimum increase is seen in the indicators of 'Energy and Environmental Policies'. Moreover, it has been observed that, in the indicators, which the urban life quality is low, the evaluation of municipal services in terms of marketing approach, will increase the life quality related to the urban services. Key Words: Globalization, Slow City, Slow Food, Urban Quality of Life,Marketing in Slow City Municipalities