Cittaslow Midden-Delfland

Arnoud J. Rodenburg Mayor Council of Europe Shared Social Responsibility 28 February 2011 1 Midden-Delfland would like to present

The Midden-Delfland Municipality, the

• Maasland, Schipluiden, Den Hoorn, ‘t Woudt and the Zweth

• 18.000 inhabitants, total surface area of 5.500 hectares

• Cultural historic peat area

• 60 dairy farms: 40 million kilos of milk

• Greenhouse farming, forms part of Greenport

• Rotterdam-The Hague metropolitan area: 2 million inhabitants

28 February 2011 2 Midden-Delfland in the region

The Randstad Area Approx. 7 million inhabitants

Rotterdam – The Hague Metropolitan Area Approx. 2 million inhabitants

28 February 2011 3 Important Midden-Delfland moments

2004 The Midden-Delfland Municipacility was created on 1 st January

Assignment: “Maintenance and strengthening of the open peat area”

2005 Midden-Delfland® 2025 Regional Vision

2007 ‘Beautiful and vital Delfland’ Government Programme

2010 Metropolitan area (urban areas surrounding a green heart)

28 February 2011 4 Metropolitan Town Park

28 February 2011 5 Content focus on ‘green’

Why this administrative attention?

• Urban density

• A need for green and space for the towns’ inhabitants (2 million people)

• The area’s social-economic vitality can be improved

• Cluttering and infrastructure projects

• Rotterdam – The Hague metropolis competitive position

28 February 2011 6 Cittaslow brings together ambition

Policy ambition Country, area, province, municipality, civil society, entrepreneurs and inhabitants ↓ Quality ↓ Cittaslow

“Slow is the speed that brings serenity”

28 February 2011 7 Cittaslow, the background

Cittaslow  • Consciously thinking about the quality of life in the municipality • An idea by Paolo Saturnini, Mayor Greve () with colleagues from Bra, Orvieto and Positano and Carlo Petrini () • Set up in 1999

Cittaslow  • Renaming values • Creating conditions for maintaining and improving the quality of life

28 February 2011 8 Cittaslow, focus on quality

Cittaslow hallmark

International hallmark for municipalities which Realise the highest possible quality where landscape, preservation of their own identity and cultural historic values, living environment, Infrastructure, environment, awareness, hospitality and regional products are concerned.

28 February 2011 9 Cittaslow, a global movement

•Head Office Palazzo del Gusto, Orvieto,

•Network in 23 countries

•141 municipalities

•Scientific committee

•www.cittaslow.net

28 February 2011 10 Cittaslow the Netherlands

National Network for the exchange of knowledge and experience, inspiration and strengthening of each other and partners in European projects.

Borger-Odoorn

Midden-Delfland Alphen-Chaam

28 February 2011 11 Cittaslow, inspiring network

What can Cittaslow do for us?

• Quality awareness

• Assessment framework for quality & priority

• Identity

• Publicity

• Working together

28 February 2011 12 Cittaslow, an individual identity

Quality awareness

This map is central in the Hof van Delflandraad’s (Delfland Court) spatial vision (18 administrative parties)

28 February 2011 13 Awareness, validation and execution

Core themes aimed at Midden-Delfland in 2025

• Living environment and landscape

• Regional products and hospitality

• Cultural history and identity

• The environment and infrastructure

28 February 2011 14 Administrative Strength

Join Forces

• 2025 regional vision, 60 parties, 150 involved parties, 3 days, implementation programme

• Hof van Delfland (Delfland Court), 18 administrative parties and implementation programme

• Measuring quality with the Cittaslow points model

28 February 2011 15 Corporate Strength

Run a business with respect for the landscape

• Recreational packages, entrepreneurs working together at the farm and recreation interface

• Sustainable farming; extra attention devoted to operational management for the quality of soil, manure and roughage.

• Private and public investments, management agreements with quality card, green blue services

28 February 2011 16 Regional Strength

Cooperation will lead to regional strength: • Holiday tourism is on the up • Farmers are producing more economically • Spending in the area is increasing • Innovation is executed • Cycle routes from Rotterdam-The Hague through Midden Delfland • Activities have seen a strong increase • A green fund for investments (paid for by housing contributions) • Landscape management is gaining quality • Intensification of town-country relationships (entries, green connections) • Cooperation at administrative, social level is increasing • Inhabitants appreciate the efforts and are enjoying the success • Etcetera

28 February 2011 17 Charter focus point

Cittaslow is an excellent European key for giving people responsibility for their own living environment

28 February 2011 18