From Futurama to Cittaslow
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MSC LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING, SPATIAL PLANNING FROM FUTURAMA TO CITTASLOW Slowing Down in a Fast World Irina - Alexandra Panait MSc Thesis | Irina-Alexandra Panait 1 Master Thesis FROM FUTURAMA TO CITTASLOW: Slowing Down in a Fast World Student: Irina-Alexandra Panait MSc Landscape Architecture and Planning Spatial Planning Wageningen University, Netherlands Registration number: 870518640030 [email protected] Supervisor: Dr. Claudia Basta Land Use Planning Group Wageningen University, Netherlands [email protected] 2 FROM FUTURAMA TO CITTASLOW Acknowledgement This document represents the final report of my MSc Thesis, carried out as a compulsory component of the MSc landscape Architecture and Planning, specialization Spatial Planning, at the Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands. First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor at Wageningen University, Dr. Claudia Basta, for her patience, constructive and motivating feedback, helpful criticism and confidence. Secondly, a special thanks to Mr Arnoud Rodenburg, mayor of Midden- Delfland, for the kindness of providing me with valuable information on the current issues of slow cities and the municipality of Midden-Delfland. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family and loved ones, for supporting me through my hardest times and always believing in me. Irina-Alexandra Panait MSc Thesis | Irina-Alexandra Panait 3 Abstract Ever since the beginning of the 20th century, modern society came to be promoting sustainable development and environmental conservation, defined by speed as the ultimate form of progress. We are now living in a Cittaslow movement encourages societies to embrace a new, slow-paced globalized world, in which people and places are facing changes on an way of life and provides incentives to food production using natural and unprecedented scale, and at extraordinary rate. The imminent environmentally-friendly techniques. It is both a social movement and a perspective of fossil fuel depletion demands for better ways of handling model for urban governance; it emphasizes local distinctiveness in the resources, while improving the quality of urban life. In order to meet this context of globalization and seeks to improve the quality of life locally. urgent need, more and more scientists and academics are turning their This thesis describes the change in values faced by the 20th century attention to methods through which the negative effects of globalization society, from the fast pace of life at the beginning of the industrial era, to can be diminished. Recent trends in urban planning offers the hope that recent trends that are emphasizing the importance of returning to new, successful approach to the current problems in this field can be traditional values and taking up a slower pace of life, for a better quality found. of living in cities. Through a case study of the Dutch Slow City of Midden- Derived from the Slow Food movement, the concept of slow living is one Delfland, the researcher analyses the main planning processes that are of the recent worldviews which is gaining a wide following, and is thought characteristic to slow cities, as well as the implications of including the to be a solution against the fast pace of life. It addresses various aspects Cittaslow values in a city’s strategy of development for the overall of life, from cooking, work, leisure, health and education to urban planning dynamics of such cities. planning and art. CittaSlow is an international network of small towns that Keywords: cittaslow, Futurama, slow movement, change in values, engages the idea of slowness in their urban design and planning. By Midden-Delfland. 4 FROM FUTURAMA TO CITTASLOW MSc Thesis | Irina-Alexandra Panait 5 Table of Contents 2.7. The switch – slowing down and going green .................................. 57 Acknowledgement ..................................................................................... 2 2.8. Slow Food ........................................................................................ 66 Abstract....................................................................................................... 3 2.9. Slow Living ....................................................................................... 73 List of tables ............................................................................................ 6 2.10. Slow Cities ..................................................................................... 77 Table of figures ........................................................................................ 6 03. Case study: Midden-Defland ................................................................ 87 01. Introduction ........................................................................................... 9 3.1. General context ............................................................................... 87 1.1. Context: slowing down in a fast world ............................................. 9 3.2. Becoming the Dutch capital of Citta Slow ....................................... 97 1.2 Literature and past research on slow cities..................................... 13 3.3. Planning context: what changed after adhering to Cittaslow? ....... 98 1.3 Research Questions ......................................................................... 14 3.3.1. Living environment................................................................... 99 1.4. Research methods .......................................................................... 14 3.3.2. Landscape ............................................................................... 104 1.5. Data collection ................................................................................ 17 3.3.3. Local products ........................................................................ 106 1.6. The Cittaslow movement as an emerging worldview: some 3.3.4. Hospitality .............................................................................. 108 preliminary remarks .............................................................................. 18 3.3.5. Environment ........................................................................... 110 1.6.1. Ecological worldview ............................................................... 18 3.3.6. Infrastructure ......................................................................... 113 1.6.2. Value Theory: some theoretical considerations ...................... 19 3.3.7. Conservation of cultural history ............................................. 114 02. From Futurama to Cittaslow: an historical introduction ..................... 25 3.3.8. Preserving local identity ......................................................... 115 2.1 Modernity and modernism ............................................................. 25 3.4. Life after slowing down ................................................................. 116 2.2. Fordism and Taylorism ................................................................... 29 04. Conclusion .......................................................................................... 119 2.3. Futurism.......................................................................................... 33 References ................................................................................................ 123 2.4. Futurama 1939: a ride to the fast city of the future ...................... 41 Annex ....................................................................................................... 135 2.5. Modernism and urban planning ..................................................... 45 1. Cittaslow Requirements for Excellence (complete list) ................... 135 2.6. Speed as a way of life ..................................................................... 54 2. Interview transcript .......................................................................... 138 6 FROM FUTURAMA TO CITTASLOW Figure 21: Map of the Cittaslow International Network ............................ 80 List of tables Figure 22: Location of Midden Defland in the Netherlands and Zuid- Holland region ............................................................................................ 88 Table 1: Slow Cities by continents and countries ...................................... 81 Figure 23: Midden-Delfland Municipality and Midden-Delfland Region. .. 88 Table 2: Characteristics of fast and slow cities .......................................... 85 Figure 24: Logo of the Dutch Green Heart ................................................. 89 Figure 25: Map of the Dutch Green Heart ................................................. 91 Table of figures Figure 26: The 1977 Reconstruction Map .................................................. 91 Figure 27: Midden-Delfland in 1850. ......................................................... 92 Figure 1: Relations between human basic values ..................................... 23 Figure 28: Midden-Delfland in 2000 .......................................................... 93 Figure 2. Le Corbusier, 1914, Dom-ino House. .......................................... 31 Figure 29: Clear distinction between the green area of Midden-Delfland Figure 3: The Ironing Department of L.N. Gross Co., Ca. 1930. WRHS. .... 32 and the dense urban tissue of surrounding cities. ..................................... 96 Figure 4. Giacomo Balla, Dynamism of A Dog On a Leash , 1912.............. 35 Figure 30: View of Rotterdam, as seen