مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - AN EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL INNOVATION AND SLOW CITIES IN TERMS OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISES/ENTREPRENEURS: THE CASE OF SEFERIHISAR

Abstract :

Nowadays, slow food movement has started as an awareness raising and a reaction to fast lives and fast consumption as a result of the globalization. Over time, the concept of “Slow City” is developed as an alternative living model proposition as a consequence of slow food in regarding the emergence of sustainability as a societal problem such as depletion of energy resources, irregular urbanization and particularly environment related issues, decrease in the local values and the effects of globalization. This is a local development movement emerged as a social innovation. In this structure, social entrepreneurs are absolutely necessary for social innovation. In this context, Seferihisar as a first Slow City in Turkey is examined in this study. After being included in the slow city network the kind of social innovation created in the city, how the local economy and the social structure are changed and how this change contributed on the development and the progress of the community are examined. The role and the power of social innovation are discussed in creating sustainable cities. In-depth interview technique is used in this study. The in-depth interview is conducted with the mayor of Seferihisar with the purpose of revealing how social enterprises/entrepreneurs are created by slow cities as a source of social innovation. In addition, document analysis and observational studies were used to support the study s findings. In the future, the field of study will be expanded in the line of the research findings, varied researches are under consideration by including other slow cities in Turkey and emphasizing the differences between these cities in terms of social innovation.