Cittaslow: Umbrella branding for Turkish cities

Cittaslow is an international movement against one of the biggest problems of today, i.e. the effects of dense human population and fast urban life. The study aims to clarify the city branding practices of local governments participating in Cittaslow, and to examine the economic, social and environmental impacts that the movement exerts on cities. In conceptual framework, the Cittaslow movement is explained with its basic philosophy and policies, and city branding is discussed within the image and positioning concepts. The research includes quantitative evaluation of simple statistical data such as mean and standard deviation. The study covers cities in the Turkish Cittaslow network and applies an online questionnaire with the municipality officials. Items related to the importance and social, economic, environmental aspects of Cittaslow are included in the online survey. The research results prove that the economic and social aspects of the Cittaslow movement are more positive for the cities, whereas the environmental aspects are less positive. The Cittaslow movement strengthens the brand image of small towns with associations of territories’ cultures and traditions. The authors find that, while preserving local values, urban regeneration can be made with positive city image.