The Potential for Cittaslow Implementation in Mongolia

Adapting European Sustainable Development Models to Nomadic Cultural Contexts

Bibliographic Data

ID22272979
AuthorsDo-Kyoung Lee (University of Seoul), Dongoh Joo (0000-0002-6285-4808, Kyung Hee University)
Year2026
Volume5
Issue1-2
Pages297-323
Publication date2026-03-11
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMongolian Diaspora Journal of Mongolian History and Culture (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2941-2722 • E-ISSN: 2941-2722
PublisherWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1515/modi-2025-0017
OpenAlexW7124705520
LanguageEN
References cited8

This article examines the potential for implementing the Cittaslow (Slow City) movement in Mongolia as an alternative sustainable development strategy adapted to nomadic cultural contexts. Mongolia’s contemporary challenges – rapid economic liberalization, influx of international tourists, and pressures on nomadic heritage – parallel conditions that originally motivated the Cittaslow movement in Europe. However, Mongolia’s distinctive nomadic culture, emphasizing seasonal mobility and environmental stewardship, requires fundamental adaptation of the Cittaslow certification criteria designed for settled communities with fixed geographical boundaries. Four Mongolian provinces demonstrate particular implementation potential: Khentii (Chinggis Khan heritage), Selenge (exceptional biodiversity), Bayan-Ulgii (Kazakh ethnic diversity), and Övörkhangai (UNESCO World Heritage landscape). Each offers distinctive cultural assets while facing common globalization pressures, providing complementary testing grounds for Cittaslow adaptation. Despite significant challenges, including tensions between mobility traditions and settlement-based criteria, governance capacity limitations, and infrastructure deficiencies, strategic approaches leveraging Mongolia’s cultural strengths could create viable implementation pathways. Successful adaptation would benefit both participating communities and the global Cittaslow movement by demonstrating how sustainability principles can be expressed through diverse people-place relationships, including mobile practices. This expansion could enhance the Cittaslow movement’s relevance for other nomadic or post-socialist contexts while contributing innovative perspectives to international sustainable development discourse

Certification · Corporate governance · Cultural heritage · Globalization · Sustainability · Sustainable development · Collaborative and Sustainable Housing Initiatives · Sustainable Urban and Rural Development · Urban Agriculture and Sustainability

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access