Assessing the Success of the Development Strategy of the Cittaslow Movement: An Analysis of Revitalisation Programs and Experts Insights on the Model for Small Towns’ Sustainable Development

Abstract

The revitalisation of small towns is an attempt to find multi-directional solutions to numerous social, economic, and spatial problems. Properly planned and coordinated actions aimed at the renewal and countering of social exclusion through corrective interventions. Although there is a wealth of research on the significance of revitalisation projects in improving the quality of life for residents in large cities, there is a visible gap regarding the development of models based on the principles of “slow” and “liveability” in small towns. This article presents the results of observations regarding the actual conditions for the development of Cittaslow cities and the possibilities for development based on the assumptions outlined in the strategic documents of these cities, as well as the benefits resulting from projects implemented within the Supralocal Revitalisation Program (SLRP). The study initially identifies the main strategic assumptions and then analyses their connections with the revitalisation effects carried out within the SLRP. The analysis encompassed all projects aimed at solving social problems in fourteen cities in the Warmian–Masurian Voivodeship (Poland). The research included an evaluation of the assumptions regarding the directions of development arising from the provisions in the strategic documents (first stage) and a qualitative assessment based on interviews with local experts (second stage). The results indicate that the experts’ opinions differ partly from the project effects assumed in the documents. This applies primarily to the possibility of basing on the project results when formulating development models of the analysed Cittaslow towns. The results of these studies can serve as a basis for verifying the goals set in the SLRP, and based on them, for future projects and recommendations concerning the revitalisation of other Cittaslow cities in the region, as well as small towns in Europe and around the world.