Sonoma Valley named first Cittaslow in the United States by Slow Food

photo by Tom Whitworth

Sonoma has received the first designation of 'Cittaslow' in the United States. The announcement was made Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009, by Cittaslow International's president, Gian Luca Marconi, in Abbiategrasso, Italy.

In Italian, Cittaslow (pronounced chee-tah slow) means 'slow city', and towns honored with the designation epitomize all the qualities Slow Food hopes to preserve and nurture.

Cittaslow towns are located in Italy, Austria, Spain, Sweden, The United Kingdom, Denmark, South Korea, Poland, Australia, Germany, Turkey, The Netherlands and Norway. In August, Cowichan, British Columbia was named the first Cittaslow town in North America, and now Sonoma becomes the first for the United States. There are 129 towns worldwide with the designation.

To be considered for "Slow City" designation, prospective towns must have populations of less than 50,000 and application is by invitation of Cittaslow International. Applicants are then evaluated in a number of areas including sustainable agricultural practices, land use and infrastructure, environmental policy, support for local food cultivation and preparation, conservation of traditional artisan products, available hospitality programs, historic preservation, and educational programs for all ages.

The Sonoma City Council officially endorsed the application in September 2009 and the local Slow Food chapter worked hard to pull together everything required for the application and make a good case for Sonoma's Cittaslow designation. The chapter's effort was coordinated by long-time Sonoma resident Virginia Hubbell.

Ken Brown, mayor of the City of Sonoma, said, "It's a wonderful honor for Sonoma Valley to be invited to participate, and to be named first American Cittaslow. We're used to being first. The City of Sonoma was the first to raise the Bear Flag for the Republic of California before it was a member of the Union. Sonoma takes this honor seriously, and we're proud to further Cittaslow's philosophy and goals as we move forward." (NBC Bay Area, Wine Country Honored for Being Slow)

A delegation from Cittaslow International is expected to visit Sonoma Valley in January.