Smart Cities from Slow Philosophy

This contribution analyzes how smart cities and slow cities are discursively related. The latter are represented in this work by the cittaslow movement, which defines a philosophical and theoretical framework on the conception and management of the city that bets on a form of development different from the hegemonic one. This movement also considers how to achieve higher degrees of well-being and quality of life for the populations that live and coexist in them. With the aim of knowing which theoretical and discursive elements both ways of conceiving the city have in common or not, a series of in-depth interviews with stakeholders from cittaslow and a process of documentary comparison between the two have been carried out. The analysis carried out show a relevant degree of compatibility between both ways of thinking about the city, despite its different approaches and focuses. The slow philosophy is shown as a great umbrella for the development of smart, healthy and sustainable cities.