Slow Cities

I recently read an article in the German newsmagazine Spiegel Online about the "Slow Cities" movement, which seeks to make cities more livable by slowing down the hectic pace of modern life. In order for a city to be certified as a Slow City, it must have fewer than 50,000 inhabitants, ban cars from the city centers, require restaurants to serve locally-grown products, and preserve traditional architecture while requiring new construction to observe ecologically-friendly standards. The movement got its start in Italy (where it's called cittaslow), and there are now over 40 Slow Cities in Italy and more in Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Poland, and other European countries.

Reading this interesting article gave me a flashback to one of the most pleasant times of my life: the second half of 1982, when I was in the Air Force and stationed in Berlin, Germany. I had moved in with Agnes and was adjusting to life "on the economy" rather than in the cocoon of the American community. The first major difference at the time was that stores closed at 6:00 PM on weekdays and 2:00 PM on Saturdays (except for the so-called "Long Saturday," the first Saturday of the month, when stores remained open until 4:00 PM). Everything except gas stations, most restaurants, and emergency pharmacies was closed on Sunday. This meant that we had evenings and weekends of enforced quiet: stores weren't open, so we spent time at home with each other, rather than running out all the time to pick up something we decided we needed. Of course, the American PX and related services were open on a more American schedule, but because they were across town from where I now lived, we tended not to go there. Even in a vast metropolis like Berlin, life had a slower and more relaxed quality on evenings and weekends.

I found this arrangement very relaxing. Nowadays, hardly a day goes by that I'm not jumping in the car each weekday evening and several times on Saturday and Sunday to go to some store or another for something we "need" at the moment. Evenings and weekends are much less restful and quiet than they were in that slice of 1982 in Berlin, and I feel like I'm always rushing to get things done.

I wouldn't mind living in a Slow City. We've traded our ability to slow down and relax for the convenience of 24-hour shopping and services, and we've lost the ability to just take life easy for a little while each day. Our weekends are often just as hectic as our workdays, and we never have the chance to sit back, enjoy home and family, and recharge our batteries.

Germany is, sadly, different now - at least in the bigger cities. Store hours are closer to the American model, and the enforced lazy evenings and weekends are a thing of the past. But it's nice to think back sometimes to that time in 1982 when I decided that the frustration of not being able to rush out and buy something I had to have right now was worth the trade in peace and quiet. I can still live slow ... it just means I have to consciously plan to do it.

Which, to me, sort of defeats the purpose.

Have a good day. Live slower. You'll probably like it.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo