SITTARDTowards a Slow City

SLOW CITY

WHAT IS SLOW CITY?Città slow (Italian for Slow City) is a movement

started in Italy. Slow city’s philosophy is inspired from the slow food concept. Slow cities promote

high-quality healthy living with maintaining identity, humanity, environment and history. It’s about a different and sustainable way of

development.

PRINCIPLES & VALUESI. Look for the best knowledge of the past with

the best possibilties ofthe future.2. Maintain the local identity and increase the

value of what is truly local (customs, unique food, handmade productions).

3. Planning for strong communities and urban resilience.

4. Healthy connection between the people and the

place.

SITTARD

UNDERSTANDING SITTARDSittard is a city which has rich history, culture,

food. In order to play a perfect role, it has certain problems need to be addressed.

We propose the slow city idea as a goal of the urban renewal. Our proposal is an invitation and

manual for Sittard to become a slow city.

WHY SLOW?Sittard, as numerous other cities, has been

negatively affected by globalization and large urbanization. Setting the slow city as a goal

aims to develop Sittard in a localized way based on what it has. The city enjoys rich history, culture,

food that can be refreshed and promoted in new ways and that can be a reference for urban renewal. It also has vast green landscapes and

less than 50.000 inhabitants which are few of the requirements to become a slow city.

P2P+

INCREMENTALURBANISM

P2P URBANISMPeer to Peer urbanism is a recent movement alternative to modernist, large scale, central

planning. It is an open source urbanism and a bottom-up process based on crowdsourcing

ideas. P2P urbanism is meant to allow free exchanging between individuals without

referring to a central party.It will allow Sittarders to network in order to

make collective brainstorming and will let them choose from alternatives. Eventually, they will

shape their city in a collaborative way.

INCREMENTAL URBANISMSmall scale actions and development that do not

financial and bureaucratic obligations. It is: instant,

less risky, flexible, low-budget, community-minded.

Sittard, as well as the world, is in constant change.

Incremental urbanism opens opportunities for

experimentation and entrepreneurships and it

turns the city into a living lab for new business

models. It will lead to long-term and strategic

urbanism as people will be able, with time, to

identify what will shine from their experiences

and ideas.

A SHARED SPACE STREET

In order for Sittard to work on its full performance and maintain a strong community, it has to be connected and the Rijksweg wound

should be stitched .Rather than completely pedestrianize, we

propose to absorb Rijksweg and convert it to a shared space street (woonerf/slow

corridor), that is, by integrating all users (cars, pedestrians, bikers), reduce its transit role for

vehicles and generate activities. The street then will turn into a vibrant connector for the city

with playing a social and economical role.

The street will turn into one level surface,

one pavement, kerb-free. This will increase

drivers attention and they will reduce speed

autonomously.

OUTREACH

Our proposal is addressed to the people as much as the city.

We are proposing ideas to be adapted by people and reflected, by them, on Sittard.

In order to be acheived, the slow philosophy, P2P culture, have to be promoted and

disseminated among people at two different levels: Education in schools and Campaigns.

PHYSICALCATALIST

To announce renewaI and change the atmosphere

• Urban furniture and lighting: to improve thecomfort of the city, enhance the common

spaces and to create a link through urban objects.

• Artworks on the facades of vacant premisesand empty areas to invite people to occupy

them and participate in shaping their city.

• Brand: Installation of the city’s name.The installation will have a mirror instead of the

second (T) and the letter will be reflected on the mirror, so the whole word can be read.

Our choice of the mirror is because it implies meanings such as: “pause, slow down, look

around you (what you have), look behind you (your past)”. The mirror can motivate people to

approach, interact and take photos.

via F.Nullo 14, 20129 Milano, Italy

T +39 02 710 402 78 | F +39 02 752 801 12

info@sgsassociati.com

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