City Manager Jennifer Coile’s plan to make San Juan Bautista
a
”
Slow City
”
seems like kismet
– after all it’s been said that San Juan Bautista is a museum,
and all the residents are curators.
City Manager Jennifer Coile’s plan to make San Juan Bautista a “Slow City” seems like kismet – after all it’s been said that San Juan Bautista is a museum, and all the residents are curators.
The historic Spanish mission, the small-town conviviality and the chickens roaming the streets already make a trip down San Juan’s Alameda seem like taking a stroll back in time. Coile’s idea is a way to capitalize on that laid-back lifestyle to increase tourist revenue and lure people away from the hustle and bustle of city life – and it would be a great marketing move.
In our fast-paced, technology-driven world of 50-hour work weeks and long commutes, there is a growing interest in slowing down and enjoying the good life. San Juan, with its easy-going charm, good restaurants, proximity to farms and excellent local wineries, is in a unique position to become an oasis of calm in a frenzied world. And that, we believe, would be an enticing draw for many people.
“We talk about this, people say, ‘What a perfect thing,'” Vice Mayor Chuck Geiger said. “When you drive into San Juan you think you’ve gone back 30 years in time. Life is so fast all the time; people want to slow down.”
Earning a Slow City designation would require the Mission City to abide by the guidelines outlined in the Slow Food movement, which promotes taking time to eat well and emphasizes an interest in agricultural biodiversity, local wines and organic food. San Juan also would have to commit to preserving the local environment and work to capitalize on the city’s local heritage and natural landscape. Introducing recycling projects, after-school programs and information for tourists to help them have a true “local’s” experience are just a few ways a city can achieve this commitment.
It would require time and effort from the city as well as local businesses and residents, but San Juan would not be alone. There are about 30 designated Slow Cities worldwide including towns in Brazil, Japan, Italy and Great Britain, which are part of the cultural movement to embrace a slow-paced life that has been lost in our modern age.
We think this is a great idea for San Juan to join the ranks of those cities that celebrate taking it slow.
