Abstract
Research background: Identification of the effects achieved by cities owing to their membership in the Cittaslow network plays a role not only in the development of every city, but also in the growth of national and international Cittaslow networks. Being a member of the Cittaslow network, and thereby adopting the slow city development model, affects the process of urban management by directing it towards such activities that agree with the assumed development concept. The achieved effects, manifested in the social, economic, and spatial spheres, contribute to the improved quality of life in a slow city, which in turn influences its development.
 Purpose of the article: Identification of the effects of membership of Polish cities in the Polish National Cittaslow Network.
 Methods: The study included a diagnostic survey method. The diagnostic survey based on a standardized survey questionnaire was used to identify the effects achieved by the Polish cities in the Cittaslow network. The survey was addressed to mayors of all member cities in the Polish National Cittaslow Network. The survey was conducted in May 2020.
 Findings & value added: The most important effects to date of cities being members of the Polish National Cittaslow Network, and their scale, have been investigated. An attempt was made to determine in which areas of urban life the effects become observable in a relatively short time (a few years), and which effects are attainable after a longer period of time. Major barriers to obtaining the desired effects were also identified. The research fills in a gap in this scope, as it provides a complex analysis of the effects of the membership of cities in the national Cittaslow network as seen by the city authorities. The results can serve to make comparative analyses of the effects achieved on different levels of development in the national Cittaslow networks, particular-ly in view of the fact that the Polish National Cittaslow Network is the second largest network in the world with respect to the number of member cities.
Highlights
Recent years have witnessed an increasingly dynamic development of the international Cittaslow network
Bearing in mind the set objective of the research, the respondents were asked to state what in their opinion were the most significant effects of the city being a member of the Cittaslow network achieved far
Over 40% of those surveyed indicated that their city, by being in the Cittaslow network, was able to create a positive image of a Cittaslow city — ‘a city where life is good’
Summary
Recent years have witnessed an increasingly dynamic development of the international Cittaslow network. The ‘Cittaslow — International network of cities where living is good’ currently associates 264 cities from 30 countries around the world. For the past 13 years, the Polish National Cittaslow Network (officially set up in 2007) has been joined by cities from different parts of Poland, and the collaboration between member cities (especially their authorities, and local organizations or businesses) has been fortified. Some urban development tools surpassing the local level have been employed, for example the Supralocal revitalisation program of the cities of the Cittaslow network of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship. It seemed justified to review the achievements of the Polish National Cittaslow Network to date, and to focus on the effects gained by cities owing to their membership in the association. Special attention was paid to social, economic, spatial and environmental effects as well as the effects noticed in such areas as the management and promotion of a city; as well as cooperation between cities
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