18/04/2013 00:00
TW
0

by MONITOR
DESPITE the fragility of its political system good ideas are still born and take root in Italy. The idea of slowing down the pace of everyday living began in Italy in the late 1980s and is slowly (of course) spreading round the world. This month a Slow Down London festival is taking place which will offer residents and visitors the chance to stop a while at places they normally rush past and explore what they have to offer - or to just stand and stare. Several towns in different parts of Britain have adopted the idea of Cittaslow as have others in Spain, Austria, Poland, Norway and Portugal.

On the whole it would seem that southern countries are best place to slow down - the warmer weather invites a leisurely approach to life. Spain's siesta tradition is surely a very old version of the Go Slow idea - but now it is having difficulty in surviving as workers in cities increasingly live long distances from their work. Has Palma thought of adopting a Cittaslow approach? It might work as a new idea to appeal to tourists who must often find its streets far from restful under present conditions. Palma's Paseo Mallorca could easily be developed as a Cittaslow area - its eastern side is already pleasantly lined with shady trees and there are a lots of places to relax or just sit and watch the world go by or eat a meal.