Cittaslow best practices Prize "CHIOCCIOLA ORANGE 2017"

On 26 April and 2 of May 2017 the Panel for the Cittaslow Project Prize CHIOCCIOLA ORANGE, chaired by Giuseppe Roma, Coordinator of the International Scientific Committee and composed of  President Stefano Pisani, Pier Giorgio Oliveti, General Secretary, and Luca Filippetti, Web manager of C.I., met to appraise the projects and videos submitted by Cittaslow towns.

The Committee firstly noted the success of the initiative, in which 19 Cittaslow towns from 9 countries took part, submitting 27 projects for the Panel’s perusal. 

The first job of the Panel was to choose prize evaluation criteria, assigning a score from 1 (minimum) to 5 (maximum).

• Improvement of Cittaslow philosophy;
• Impact on social innovation;
• Relevance in terms of dissemination in order to share good practices in the network;
• Scale of the project, people involvement and investment.

The Panel then chose prize categories, reaching the conclusion that each year a prize should be awarded for the best project presented, to be called “Chiocciola Orange”, and that prizes should be given for the following categories:

• Environment and Energy Award
• Agriculture Award
• Infrastructure Award
• Urban Life Quality Award
• Tourism and Training Award
• Social Cohesion Award

This year was also decided to award some Special Mention Prize, for Projects and Videos too.

After having carefully examined project documentation, the Panel unanimously agreed to award prizes to the following projects:

GERZE  (TR) score: 5  CHIOCCIOLA ORANGE 2017
agricultural, touristic and artisan policies

“WOODEN CRAFT WORKING IMPLEMENTATION”

The resilient economy is one of the most important aims of Cittaslow: it means mainly to be able to evaluate and finalizing to the best what you have and what you are in your town area. Gerze has choosen to put in value an existing traditional activitiy, the wooden crafts working.  With this purpose in mind, women living in the town have been trained by craftsmen in the town and and qualified instructors from The Ministry of Culture for the production of wooden toy and wooden model ship, which are traditional handicrafts of the town that are nearly forgotten. These trainings were carried out with the cooperation of Provincial Directorate of  Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR) and Gerze Industrial Vocational High School. Those who completed their trainings successfully were awarded Certificate of Competency. Gerze Municipality,  aim to raise an awareness by supporting and encouraging women to market their own wooden products. Protecting  environment and children’s health by producing completely organic toys and models, increasing our recognition by promoting these handicrafts and obtaining socio-economic benefits by providing employment opportunity for women are other main objectives of our project.  With the help of Cittaslow status , Gerze promoted its organic, nature-friendly and nearly forgotten wooden toys and model ship traditions all over the world by preserving its cultural heritage. With these vocational trainings,  paved the way for women to have an easy living future in their town.

HARTBERG (AT) score: 3
energy and environmental policies

“Ecology in Hartberg for the project Cittaslow” 

Ecology is important to us! Together with the municipalities of St. Johann, Hartberg Umgebung and Greinbach, the municipality of Hartberg prepares for future climate and energy challenges with the goal of being a model region in the field of climate protection and renewable energy for the whole of Austria. The town regularly takes part in climate protection activities like a car free day, transfers information, joins activities for CO2 neutrality and eco-relays. 

- CO2 neutral Hartberg 

The goal of this project is to establish a scientifically exact database. This should enable the municipality of Hartberg to periodically test set measures for their effectiveness. This helpfs to monitor the changes in private households, industry and trade, farming and public buildings over a periode of time. Therefore the current trends of CO2 emissions can be charted and measures for saving energy plus the change to renewable energy forms can be pictured. 

- Eco Electricity 

The municipal utility of Hartberg offers CO2 neutral electricity for the same rate to all customers. 

- Citybus 

To minimize the trafic in town the municipality of Hartberg provides an affordable way of traveling for everyone in the form of the „Citybus“. 

- Insect friendly ligting 

A large part of the city lighting in Hartberg is run with low energy lamps. Additionally, special care was taken to use insect friendly lighting systems. 

- Ecopark

It  is a symbiosis of work, research and educaton. It is based on an innovative three-column-concept, enclosing a network of independent commercial enterprises dealing with environmental concerns and an Applied Research Centre as well as leisure and exhibition facilities. 

BARCZEWO (PL) score: 4
infrastructures policies

"RESTORATION OF THE OLD CHURCH"

The restoration and revitalization project of the former Postevangelical church and the  Franciscan garden around, an important example in Poland and Europe of  neo-Gothic architecture, is a very advanced example of the reconstructing urban spaces as common goods in favor of the community. In perfect Cittaslow style, Barczewo has "restructured" a piece of the soul of the city through an ancient brickwork: beyond the architectural-architectonic value of the building, here it has been possible to see and go beyond, to imagine a future Of multiple use for spaces. This gives rise to the so-called economy of resilience through the enhancement of culture, music, art, socialization and creating a multiplier of opportunities for the whole community and providing everyone with Barczewo and out an example of A method that becomes an interesting driver for infrastructure policies in other Cittaslow.

GOOLWA  (AU) score: 4
Urban Life Quality

“Alexandrina Council Community Hub, Goolwa Terrace, Cittaslow Corner Precinct”

The Community Hub is a fantastic example of Council putting Community Development principles into action. It is perfectly fitting on Cittaslow spirit. Three  projects for progressive community outcomes in public health and tourism, involving different generations of active people in favor of easy living for all. The Goolwa Terrace Precinct upgrade involved mainstreet works to address traffic management issues while also improving amenity, including public art and public wifi. The upgrade of the Old Chambers offered an opportunity to lend the space as the headquarters for a community group (Cittaslow Goolwa). The result was a fresh, vibrant, walkable precinct that generated renewed interest in the Community Hub as a space for socialisation and assistance, improved al fresco spaces for local businesses and appealing access to the iconic Goolwa Wharf Precinct. 

TREVI  (IT) score: 5
Urban Life Quality – Social Cohesion

"Campaign against urban degradation"

The Project is an original proposal of civil self-education for local inhabitants of the Cittaslow. Sometimes a few simple daily actions can be a positive revolution. The project aims to offer a moment of reflection on some simple practices of good daily living, to promote and ensure the viability of the city and in general of all small and large inhabited centers. To this end, a four-sided folding plus a two-sided postcard will be sent to all the citizens of Trevi to bring to their attention the following 'good daily actions' that can be summed up in the aphorism, which is also the title of Graphic and communicative project, 'MAKE SMALL PERSONAL ACTIONS LISTING THE SIGN. YOU DO THE DIFFERENCE ':

● Do not leave the dog's dejection on the ground (it was considered important to bring to the attention of citizens this significant element of urban degradation because it is not only an aesthetic issue but also a public health problem)

● Do not dump the walls, the most beautiful design is your clean city

● eye drop, saves water

● the world, the square where you play, the street where you live, the places where you walk, the alley that

To go to work, at school, to study, etc. I'm not a trash can, do it

Separate collection The graphic design was realized by combining comic strips and graphic images graphically to capture and communicate in a simple and effective way the concepts that the project itself wants to express, aiming at a broad target of citizens, from young generations to the elderly . The set, folding and postcard, will be printed in at least 3500 copies, four-color on cardboard (ecological), and sent to all the families of Trevi, as well as made available in various infopoint of the City.

The project wants to be a moment of reflection to promote some simple practices of good daily living, to ensure the livability and better care of the city's hygiene and in general of all the towns inhabited by the municipality.

The expected result is greater attention from the citizens to those small, but important, daily gestures that can make a difference in terms of viability especially of the inhabited centers, to give a cleaner appearance and guarantee better hygiene from the contexts Urban areas to affect all the inhabited nuclei and the entire municipal territory (... and not only).

WANDO  (KR) score: 4
Agricultural, touristic and artisan policies

“Wando International Seaweeds EXPO"

Wando Cittaslow consists of 265 islands Cittaslow, rich in abalone, kelp and sea mustard.  Agriculture and fisheries cover 87% of local economy. The county holds the event “Wando International Seaweeds EXPO” every year to promote the value of seaweed as future food, facilitate its commercialization, and make Wando world’s 1st Mecca of the seaweeds industry. The festival helps promote Cittaslow Wando at home and abroad, and contributes to the development of the slow food industry. 

The Wando Seaweeds EXPO has three main goals to promote seaweeds’ development potential as future food and energy.

To develop healthy food of traditional and cultural value

To increase the population’s awareness of seaweeds as future food

To create added values by developing the seaweeds industry as the nation’s new growth engine boosted by the convergence of seaweeds and high technology The Wando Seaweeds EXPO 2014 is held under the theme “discovery of future life, seaweeds!” in Wando from April 11 to May 11.

More: the county of Wando concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Gwangju·Jeollanamdo Education Office to encourage young students to participate in experiential activities. The Expo was reported in the textbook of 3 and 4 grades of elementary schools, and got a lot of attention from teachers, students, and parents, being loved as a living learning classroom for young students.

Aims

- Raising global awareness on seaweeds

- Seaweeds industry and securing Corea’s place by constructing the cluster cooperative system

- Cultivating the local industry as the center of the seaweeds industry

HEERDE (NL) score: 5
Policies for hospitality, awareness and training 

“Developing sustainable recreation network”

Cittaslow Tourism is one of the most relevant  issue into Cittaslow planning. Heerde has organized a course “called Host of the Landscape”, aimed at entrepreneurs in the areas of leisure, hospitality and agriculture, to inform the tourism industry about the special values of the area. That is  perfectly fitting on Cittaslow Tourism spirit, improving local economy but in the same time growing the awareness of people about their territory. This will make them proud of their own environment. With the information from the course, the entrepreneur is able to tell his guests about as the genesis of the area's cultural heritage and to show them the special places. As an additional service, this will make tourists stay and makes the area more attractive. The entrepreneur is thus a true ambassador and host of the area. The course IVN Host of the Landscape comprises four meetings within a reasonably short period of time (about two to three months), which deals with backgrounds of the area.  The meetings are organized alternately by participants.
For example, the course covers the following topics:

• history
• culture
• plant and animal life
• city versus nature
• connecting city-countryside
• agro-tourism
• hospitality
• How do I promote my business
• events and business in the North East Veluwe-area

Afterwards the participants receive a facade plate and certificate of 'IVN Host Landscape' The front plate provides a clearly identifiable regional character and shows that the employer has knowledge of the area and has invested in hospitality.  During the course, the entrepreneurs know each other and each other's company and they build together with partners a sustainable recreational network. This network ensures that entrepreneurs know each other and meet easily and quickly so that knowledge and experience is shared. With refreshers (after each course) and entrepreneurs safaris (two per year) the entrepreneurs are informed about current developments in the area and they remain an active operating network.

YAXI/GAOCHUN  (CN) score: 4
policies for hospitality, awareness and training

Chef Training Project 

The link between Cittaslow and Slow Food is one of the main aims from the beginning of the Association. In China putting in value the huge local food culture is one of the most important commitment for each Cittaslow, to preserve the local cultural heritage and assure biodiversity to the planet. This experience is very important also because it opens a new perspective of cooperation between different Cittaslow realities. In order to enhance the quality of chef and service, Gaochun Human Resources Bureau implemented  a project to train all the chefs in Gaochun. The special class for chefs in Yaxi lasted from Feb. 27 to March 15, and about 40 persons attended the class. The teachers made lectures on theoretical knowledge on cooking, ingredients, the skill of cutting up vegetables and meat, food security and tourism catering service. In addition to the theory, all the trainees made practice too. They cooked local dishes under teacher’s guide. Though they knew how to cook these dishes, they still learned from each other and teachers to achieve excellence to treat all the tourists coming to Yaxi. They held a Slow Food Contest as a conclusion to the training. All chefs made dishes for being  graded. The dishes not only had a good look but also tasted good. It is a good way to display the local food and test the chefs skill.  

The goal of this project is to prompt local food and enhance the chef’s skill. This project is helpful to standardize the service and build the brand image. 

The project enjoyed popularity in the county. The cooking skills and quality of chefs are greatly enhanced. 

BORGER ODOORN (NL) score: 4
social cohesion

REINVENTING THE RAILWAYS STATION SQUARE SPACE

The “square” is one of the most important symbol of the Cittaslow pattern: square means “market”, market means the origin of the most number of towns born, square means “socializations” between people and interpersonal  communication, square means institutional place for events, but also the place for sport,  entertainment's  and traditional activities. The inhabitants of the village of Valthe/Borger-Odoorn Cittaslow has  initiated and contributed to the reconstruction of the village square. Their goal was to develop a vivid and attractive square in the ambiance of the former railway station, that offers space for village entertainment and being together. The characteristic features of the old railway station combined with the extension of the green space upgrades the village center and shows hospitality to inhabitants and visitors. 
 

HALFETI (TR) score: 3
agricultural, touristic and artisan policies SPECIAL PRIZE FOR CITTASLOW AGRICULTURE

“Roses: smell has no borders”

Halfeti, known in the world with its black roses is home to many roses besides blackrose. Rose is one of the most important signs found in the yard of most Halfeti houses and is a part of the local culture. In ancient times it was ritual to make rose water out of the neighborhood / neighbors meeting.At the same time rose breads made by this rose water and rose breads kept in the houses until next year's rose water ritual to blessing soil and smell. The Birecik Dam, built in 2000, flooded many houses near the water and important rose gardens were also flooded. At the rose greenhouse that  we have established under Slow Rose have been revived rose farming and our ceremonial activities, which have an important place in Halfeti culture. In the scope of our project which aims to show that there is no boundaries of smell, rose gardenes have created for Orivieto and Mariagerfjord friends which are prominent with rose culture in Cittaslow . The 1st Rose Conference of Turkey was organized within Slow Rose. Through this conference it is planned to put scientific studies on rose species and to work on them. A section established in the riverside to introduce rose species. In this section, visitors can buy rose saplings in bottles and seed them as a memorial signs with certificate in our garden. A sales point was arranged for rose sellers in the district center. Briefings were made about dry roses used in the infusion of tea and information about the possession of this traditional tea on the menus .

JEZIORANY (PL) score: 4
Policies for hospitality, awareness and training SPECIAL PRIZE FOR CITTASLOW EDUCATION 

"CITTASLOW EDUCATION WEEK"

From 20th September 2016 to  24th September 2016 there was  a Cittaslow week in Jeziorany.  During the week at schools there were classes to develop a subject of Cittaslow. Primary school students became acquainted  with the renewable energy sources and  they learned about the sources of renewable energy which occur in Jeziorany. They also had a task to solve crossword puzzles and make some paintings and drawings that symbolized the correct answers to the given crossword puzzles.

There were open outdoors photography workshops, by which students werephotographying  monuments in Jeziorany and they were studying the secrets of photography.  They learned how to accurately give the character and visual appearance of the photographing objects. The Vocational School Students during the Cittaslow week visited all the monuments and statues in  Jeziorany. They also took part in a field game. A long time ago, in Jeziorany in which they had to solve some puzzles in a certain time.

This way students learned  the history of the town, its plan and visited unknown places.  

Field game is an idea to discover once place of living in a new, dynamic, attractive and riendly way to all participants. 

It plays both children and adolescents. Preschoolers as well as all the schools’ students participated  in a game organized by the Sports and Recreation Centre in Jeziorany called ,, Dance with us-Snails".

630 students from primary school, junior high school and vocational school  attended the week of Cittaslow in Jeziorany.The number of pupils who has gained knowledge on renewable energy sources  – 100 people.The number of students, who has developed their awareness of waste segregation - 95 people. Number of students, who has learned that the slower life and place of work is better for new ideas - 500 people. The number of students who has raised their awareness about the history of  Jeziorany during the field game called „  A long time ago in Jeziorany '' - 570 people. The number of students who has learned which of Polish towns belong to the Cittaslow network: 315 people.  All Educational activities at schools were organized without any financial funds. 

Cittaslow International Video Contest Award  2017

THE WINNER IS: NAMYANGJU (South Korea) 

for the video "NAMYANGJU, THE CITY OF WATER"

for the following reasons: “In a three  minutes it is able to explain on details the core eight topics of Cittaslow and in the same time showing the beauty and the soul of the city and its surrounding”

“Cittaslow International Video Contest Award  2017”

Special Mention to:
 

• GERZE (Turkey) for the video “Gerze opens up to the world with its wooden products” 

for the following reasons: “The high quality of the video and photographs  and the importance of the issue that it shows: the valorization of local handicraft like chance for the community future”.

• SALORNO/SALURN (Italy)  for the video “FAST CITY VS SLOW VILLAGE”

for the following reasons: “The original choice of the stop motions technique, yet not so easy to handle, is perfect to explain and amplify  to all the people the message of Cittaslow".