The role of slow design elements in managing tourist flow on the example of Bruges, Belgium 143Pécsek, B. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 143–154. The role of slow design elements in managing tourist fl ow on the example of Bruges, Belgium Brigitta PÉCSEK1 Abstract This paper att empts to rethink the tourist fl ow from the perspective of urban planning solutions, which have potentials of slowing down tourists and dispersing them more evenly in urban areas. It starts with an overview on current urban tourism trends and challenges and with a cross-disciplinary approach the wider contempo- rary literature is introduced including citt a slow and slow design. The focal point of the analytical part of the paper is the historic city of Bruges and the analysis of its green spaces, land and water related structures that infl uence tourist mobility. The paper argues that heritage towns like Bruges are not without tools to cope with the tourist ‘overfl ow’ and more awareness of tourists’ space usage coupled with sound planning might even boost their effi ciency to do so. The study also aims to enrich the intellectual debate on slow perspectives and practices in order to help urban destinations manage successfully spatial-temporal crowd movement. Keywords: urban tourism, urban design, slow design, citt a slow, Bruges Introduction The main aim of this paper is to present the role of urban design, specifi cally green spaces, land and water related structures in the man- agement of the tourist fl ow. There is a growing body of literature focusing on urban tourism (Biczó, G. 2011; Jensen, O.B. 2009; Michalkó, G. and Rátz, T. 2006; Puczkó, L. and Rátz, T. 2003; Senneth, R. 1994; Szij ártó, Zs. 2011), where both the supply and the demand sides of urban tourism are intensely discussed. There has also been a proliferation of research regarding crowd management in urban set- tings (Bryon, J. 2005; Bryon, J. and Neuts, B. 2008; Popp, M. 2011; Selby, M. 2004). How- ever, the relationship between cities’ layout and tourist interactions within the context of tourists’ mobility has been widely neglected. Since each destination has its own spatial and temporal patt ern infl uenced by landscape and architecture, directly impacting tourist circula- tion, this theoretical hiatus should be fi lled. 1 Enyedi György Doctoral School of Regional Sciences, Szent István University, H-2100 Gödöllő, Páter Károly u. 1. E-mail: brigitt a.pecsek@gmail.com Cities, the clearest manifestations of turbo capitalism, serve as residential, industrial and commercial areas for locals, while being the ep- icentre of global urban tourism. Consequently, they have always been a batt le-ground where locals and tourists stake their claims. Pausianus (160 B.C.), a seasoned traveller of his time penned the fi rst ever baedeker, in which he de- signed a 2–5 year long “ancient” Grand Tour, including Rome, Greece, Turkey and Egypt in the itinerary (Oldfield, P. 2013). Later in the 17th century the classical Grand Tour meant something very similar, a traditional trip of Europe undertaken by wealthy upper-class young European men. Today, cities are eas- ily accessed by both low-cost airlines and su- perfast trains, therefore, they have become a paradise for weekend travellers. In cities local residents and visitors are intimately linked by motion and have to negotiate their relationship on a daily basis (Jensen, O.B. 2009). What is more intriguing that tourists themselves fi ght for the same congested space. DOI: 10.15201/hungeobull.64.2.5 Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 2015 (2) 143–154. Pécsek, B. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 143–154.144 This paper starts with an overview of con- temporary literature on urban tourism, fol- lowed by the discussion of the citt a slow ini- tiative drawing upon works of renown inter- national experts (Honoré, C. 2005; Dickinson, J.E. et al. 2010; Knox, P. 2005; Lumsdon, L. and McGrath, P. 2010), moving onto the descrip- tion of the slow design concept put forward by Strauss, C. and Fuad-Luke, A. (2008). The theoretical part is followed by a case- study on Bruges which illustrates how urban design can rearrange the tourist fl ow in terms of space and time. The paper argues that heritage towns like Bruges are not without tools to cope with the tourist ‘overfl ow’ and more awareness and careful planning might even boost their effi ciency to do so. The town boasts landscape solutions, water related structures including canals, bridges and quays rebuilt for pedestrian traffi c as well as built structures such as passages and towers, which all might infl uence space consumption patt ern. These design solutions slow down movements, break the rhythm, and initiate pause, refl ection and engagement that con- tribute to slower tempo and more rewarding participatory experiences. The ultimate goal of the study is to draw att ention to existing urban design solutions that impact urban tourist fl ows and to generate an intellectual brainstorming among urban geographers, social scientists and tourism planners. Urban tourism The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) refers to urban tourism as trips taken by trav- ellers to cities or places of high population density. The duration of these trips is usu- ally short (1–3 days), therefore, it can be said that urban tourism is closely linked to the short-breaks market (Tourism 2020 Vision, UNWTO 2002). Urban tourism is booming all over the world. The Euromonitor survey in- dicates that out of the 20 most visited cities in the world, only two (Antalya and Shanghai) suff ered a slight loss of arrivals from 2011 to 2012 (Table 1). The former is the capital of the Mediterranean coast in Turkey, and unlike the cosmopoli- tan Istanbul, it is a transportation hub for international package tourists heading to Mediterranean resorts. Shanghai, the great re- gional business centre also lost 2 percent of its visitors, however, other Chinese cities such as Shenzhen and Guangzhou compensated for the loss with a growth of 9.6 percent and 1.2 per- cent respectively. The top 20 list contained 12 Asian and 4 European cities, plus the Eurasian Istanbul, New York as the only American rep- resentative, and Dubai with Mecca, both lo- cated on the Arabian Peninsula. No African, South American and Australian cities appeared on the list in 2012. The survey clearly shows a defi nite shift from Europe-centred tourism towards a more Asia-centred one. The fi rst fi ve positions were exclusively occupied by Asian cities except for London. The most substantial growth was re- alised in Taipei, Istanbul, Bangkok and Rome, each enjoyed over a 10 percent increase in one year. Apart from China, Turkey and Thailand also had multiple participants: Istanbul and Antalya, Bangkok and Patt aya respectively. In both cases the second city is a hub for SSS (sea, sun, sand) tourists. Only Mecca, the Islamic holy city is a religious centre. Prague was the only representative of Central and Eastern Europe on the list. Overall, it might be concluded that cities enjoyed a robust growth in the examined period, however, Southeast Asia and Western Europe had by far the highest concentration of tourists. Urban tourism became subject of academic interest during the 1980s. The recent emer- gence of low cost airlines contributed to a robust growth in the fi eld and increased the interest of researchers even further. Puczkó, L. and Rátz, T. (2003) argued that the att rac- tion of cities is due to the fact that as complex, sophisticated tourism products they appeal to a broader market. Metropolitan areas pos- sess a high concentration of sights, therefore, they represent an unmatchable good value in contemporary mass tourism. This density of att ractions produces a great synergy eff ect and makes urban destinations less prone to 145Pécsek, B. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 143–154. seasonality. The phenomenon is also rein- forced by the birth and spread of the expe- rience economy theorized by (Pine, P.J. and Gilmore, J.H. 1999), which has been gradually replacing the traditional service economy. Michalkó, G. and Rátz, T. (2006) pointed out that simultaneously with the urban tour- ism boom, a falling demand in seaside holi- days might also be noticeable, since an SSS holiday with a narrower range of off erings cannot compete with historic cities, which are considered by many as the genuine tem- poral manifestations of the days gone by. As the source of holiday satisfaction is coming more oft en than not from the tourists’ narra- tive constructed through the interpretation of experiences instead of the physical resources, cities with vibrant cultures will always have comparative advantages. Biczó, G. (2011) picks upon the aspects of familiarity, saying that urban tourism provides less challenge to visitors who are mostly city dwellers themselves, even though leaving their residence behind always repre- sents some risks. So, the primary motive of urban tourists is not necessarily to yearn for the unknown and exotic but to fi nd an exit from daily drag and schedule. According to Szij ártó, Zs. (2011) gett ing off the treadmill and the relaxation of the brain are the main points of tourism. Aft er gett ing into the holiday spirit, the hustle and bus- tle of the destination is no cause for concern anymore. On the contrary, for happy non- participants witnessing locals succumbing to hurry might even be a joyful experience. Niedermüller, P. (2000) also supports the point by saying that urban tourism for city dwellers is a mish-mash of the well-known and the unknown, since each city has famil- iar non-places such as movies or bankomats, the everyday and the profane, where tourists feel at home and ease. He joins Biczó and Szij ártó arguing that urban tourism does not display exoticism, even though each city is a representation of the national culture and always will be distinguishable. Due to the popularity of city breaks, local governments, urban planners and designers face an unprecedented challenge. According Table 1. Euromonitor International’s top city destinations ranking in 2012 Rankings City Country Arrivals in 2012 1,000 persons Growth from 2011 to 2012 in % 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Hong Kong Singapore Bangkok London Macau Kuala Lumpur Shenzhen New York City Antalya Paris Istanbul Rome Dubai Guangzhou Phuket Mecca Patt aya Taipei Prague Shanghai China Singapore Thailand UK China Malaysia China USA Turkey France Turkey Italy UAE China Thailand Saudi Arabia Thailand Taiwan Czech Republic China 23,770.2 21,345.7 15,822.6 15,461.0 13,360.8 13,339.5 12,100.4 11,618.0 10,296.6 9,780.8 8,820.1 8,670.7 8,023.0 7,879.6 7,217.0 6,852.9 6,564.3 6,561.2 6,547.7 6,539.7 6.5 7.7 14.6 2.3 3.4 6.7 9.6 8.9 -1.6 3.3 16.5 13.9 0.5 1.2 14.7 6.9 8.4 24.8 5.1 -2.2 Source: Euromonitor, 2013. Pécsek, B. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 143–154.146 to the World Health Organization (WHO) 50 percent of the world population (3.5 billion) lived in cities in 2010. The Global Report of City Tourism (2012) estimates that the urban population continues to grow and will reach 61 percent worldwide in 2030, so close to fi ve billion people will live in urban areas. The growth of cities will take place alongside with the further expansion of urban tourism. The report identifi es the following set of is- sues in relation to urban tourism: How to manage the increasing number of tourists arriving to cities in a responsible and sustainable way? How to use urban tourism to improve the quality of life of the local population? How can we make sure that tourism action plans and the city development are part of the decision making process? How can we incorporate available infor- mation and communication technologies to develop smart cities that are more competi- tive, sustainable, accessible and human? How to measure the economic impact of tourism for the cities? How can cities take practical steps to re- duce impact on the environment and pro- mote the benefi ts of greener tourism? Slow cities The fi rst grassroots initiative, the slow food was launched by the Italian Carlo Petrini in Pollenzo in 1984 to protest against the opening of a McDonald’s restaurant in Rome. Nowa- days, it has followers in 150 countries where locals and visitors enjoy the pleasure of food in a sustainable and responsible way. Slow Food dreams of a world, in which all people can access and enjoy healthy food, which is also good for those who grow it and for the planet as well. They fi ght against the stand- ardisation of taste and culture, and the omnip- otent power of food industry multinationals and industrial agriculture. Their approach is based on three main principles: good, clean and fair food (www.slowfood.com). – – – – – – The citta slow (“slow city”) movement (1999) is built upon the slow food ideology and principles to counteract the superfast pace of megacities. Senneth, R. (1994) argues that fast mobility in cities destroys the sense of place and the function of urban space de- generates into nothing else than providing smooth traffi c fl ow. The citt a slow movement born at the advent of the millennium aims to give a viable alternative for those who enjoy the perks of the cities (heritage and culture) without the fast space and pollution. It re- sults in the improvement of the quality of life and well-being for locals. Those urban areas create ideal conditions for slow tourism, be- cause a growing number of travellers fi nd the promise of the slower pace att ractive. A lot of towns worldwide have embraced careful urban planning in order to make the place equally enjoyable for locals and visitors alike. However, the movement is only open to towns with a population of less than 50,000. Larger cities need to rethink their spatial and temporal framework by breaking up urban areas into smaller fragments. Michalkó, G. (2012) defi nes them as distinct neighbourhoods milieus, while Szij ártó, Zs. (2004) calls them coulisses. These fragmented metropolises then allow visitors to interact with locals, consume local products, enjoy local culture just as much as close-knit country communities do. The goals of the movement include im- proving the quality of life in towns by slow- ing down its overall tempo. There are three categories of membership: citt a slow town (population less than 50,000); citt a slow sup- porter (population over 50,000); and citt a slow friend (individual or family). In 2014 28 countries had 176 slow cities situated mainly in Europe, however, some of them are located in Canada or New Zealand. Larger cities can become either a supporting member or can transform a certain district of the metropoli- tan area into a slow city (e.g. Jeonju Hanok district in Jeonju). To become eligible for full membership, a town must score at least 50 percent in a self-assessment test against the set of 55 citt a slow criteria centred on the fol- lowing 6 issues: 147Pécsek, B. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 143–154. 1. making life bett er for everyone living in an urban environment, 2. improving the quality of life in the cities, 3. resisting the homogenisation and glo- balisation of towns around the globe, 4. protecting the environment, 5. promoting cultural diversity and unique- ness of individual cities, 6. providing inspiration for a healthier life- style (www.citt aslow.com). An ever-growing number of destinations implement a variety of citt a slow principles in order to enhance the quality of everyday life and to manage the circulation of both lo- cals and tourists more eff ectively. The follow- ing sections present the case of Bruges taking a so far neglected angle, the relationship be- tween urban design and the tourist fl ow. Tourism in Bruges Flemish art cities are considered to be the most att ractive tourism products in Belgium and en- joy a dynamic growth in tourism. Data show the latest statistics on urban tourism in the re- gion’s six main urban destinations (Table 2). Capital cities are the crown jewels of city- breaks. So, not surprisingly, Brussels was by far the most popular destination in 2012, concentrating fi ve million overnight stays in 2008, which went up gradually to over 5.6 million nights. The capital realised the sec- ond smallest annual average growth (3.3%) among the cities examined. As for the other fi ve destinations, the compact size of the re- gion is both a blessing and a curse. The close- ness of Brussels might generate extra visitor numbers in nearby cities including Bruges. However, it might also discourage overnight stays. The capital was followed by Antwerp, one of the largest port cities in Europe with 1.5 million nights in 2008, which grew to 1.8 million nights by 2012. The number of nights increased only moderately during the investigated period; in fact this city had by far the slightest increase in the number of nights, only 2.1 percent annual average growth was registered. Bruges came a close third realising 1.6 million nights in 2012 and the city enjoyed a dynamic expansion. The other three cities lagged far behind over the whole period, although the number of nights spent in Leuven and Mechelen rose annu- ally by 6.7 and 6.0 percent respectively. All in all, the conclusion might be drawn that city tourism in Flanders has had great potentials and the trends suggest a further expansion in the future. The lure of Bruges rests on three main factors: its heritage, cultural off erings and easy accessibility (Figure 1). Nemes Nagy, J. (2009) defi nes accessibility by the distance from the capital, from the closest regional centre, from the closest local centre, from the closest border checkpoint and from the closest highway. The canal-based city has a population of 120,000 and around 45,000 live in the medieval centre. It lies less than a hun- dred kilometres from Brussels and Antwerp and 40 km from Ghent. Bruges is connected by highways to all important sett lements. Border checkpoints (15 km) do not have rel- evance within the European Union context; a mental border might exist for overseas tour- ists, though. The whole historic centre of Bruges has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000 and it was also the “European Capital of Culture” in 2002. The development of quality tourism dates back to a conference held in 2002 (Sulyok, J. 2002), when the four principles of sustaina- bility were defi ned: protecting cultural herit- age, improving water quality, consensual city planning and effi cient management of the Table 2. Tourism in Flemish cities in 2012 Cities Overnight stays, million guest nights Distribution of overnight stays, % Brussels Antwerp Bruges Ghent Leuven Mechelen 6.0 1.8 1.6 0.9 0.4 0.2 55 16 16 8 3 2 Source: Toerismevlaanderen 2013. Pécsek, B. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 143–154.148 Fig 1. Main tourist att ractions in the centre of Bruges. Source: htt p://www.planetware.com/ 149Pécsek, B. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 143–154. local community. Furthermore, recognising the need of mutual understanding between residents and visitors, the local government intended to improve both quality tourism and central areas heavily exposed to tour- ism concurrently. It also aimed to involve all stakeholders: service providers, tourists, tour- ism organisations, local residents and local government in order to fi nd a consensual de- velopment path. Table 3 shows the main tour- ism data in Bruges between 2008 and 2012. The number of arrivals increased dynami- cally by 6 percent on average annually. More than 866,000 tourists stayed in hotels in the year of 2012. In terms of overnight stays in hotels, the city realized an annual average growth of 4.8 percent during the examined period, however, foreign visitors contributed more than domestic guests. In 2012 the to- tal number of nights spent in hotels reached over 1.5 million Looking at the average length of stay the picture is less promising. The growing number of tourists and overnight stays did not translate into longer stay per capita. Although there was a slight rebound from 2011 to 2012, the average annual fall in the average length of stay was more than 1 per- cent in case of both domestic and foreign hotel guests. Slow design elements in Bruges “Slow Design is a unique and vital form of creative activism that is delivering new val- ues for design and contributing to the shift toward sustainability” – defi ned by Strauss, C. and Fuad-Luke, A. (2008). The authors belong to the group of Slowlab, which is an organisation established to promote slow design. This initiative was inspired by the global slow movement and set similar aims: they would like to provide alternatives to our fast-paced postmodern society in the fi eld of design (www.slowlab.net). Besides the defi - nition, authors also identifi ed six main fea- tures that slow design has to possess. They are as follows: Reveal: it reveals experiences in everyday life that are oft en missed or forgott en, includ- ing the materials and processes that can be easily overlooked in an artefact’s existence or creation. Expand: it considers the real and potential “expressions” of artefacts and environments beyond their perceived functionalities, physi- cal att ributes and lifespans. Refl ect: it induces refl ective consumption. Engage: it relies on sharing, co-operation and transparency of information so that de- signs may continue to evolve into the future. Table 3. Tourism in the hotels of Bruges, 2008–2012 Indicators Years 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Changes in % from 2011 to 2012 from 2008 to 2012 Guests Number of arrivals in 1,000 persons from abroad overall total 568.8 691.4 547.9 675.0 595.5 753.8 684.8 859.7 679.9 866.7 -0.71 0.82 4.82 6.04 Guests’ nights Number of overnight stays in 1,000 guest nights from abroad overall total 1,086.5 1,276.9 1,024.9 1,224.9 1,096.4 1,347.1 1,241.1 1,512.4 1,245.1 1,529.2 0.33 1.10 3.71 4.80 Average guests’ days Average length of stay in days from abroad overall total 1.91 1.85 1.87 1.82 1.84 1.79 1.81 1.76 1.83 1.77 1.05 0.29 -1.04 -1.13 Source: Toerismevlaanderen 2013 Pécsek, B. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 143–154.150 Participate: it encourages users to become active participants in the design process, em- bracing ideas of conviviality and exchange to foster social accountability and enhance communities. Evolve: it recognises that richer experiences can emerge from the dynamic maturation of artefacts, environments and systems over time. Looking beyond the needs and circum- stances of the present day, slow designs are (behavioural) change agents (Strauss, C. and Fuad-Luke, A. 2008). The slow design concept elaborated by the authors includes elements that have been expected from good, user-friendly architec- ture and urban design; therefore, several old landscape solutions and structures in Bruges can be easily qualifi ed as slow design. Below is a table featuring various design elements facilitating slowness in Bruges (Table 4). Sometimes slow design elements are the main att raction (lake), in other cases they are ancil- laries (benches) enabling the full enjoyment of the place. Time and space frame each tourist expe- rience. Even though tourists can leave their clock-time regime behind (Dickinson, J.E. et al. 2013), they oft en need encouragement to change and revise their spatial-temporal plans and fi nd their tempo giusto (Petrini, C. 2007). Urban design can defi nitely help with their readjustments. Next I go through all the slow design elements identifi ed and in- cluded in Table 4, and analyse them using the 6 main features listed by Slowlab. For visi- tors in Bruges the railway station functions as the main gate of the city: close enough to walk to the centre but far enough to interfere with the rhythm patt ern of the city. Between the centre and the station Minnewater Park serves as the natural, sound-proof buffer zone that enables visitors to slip into time- out mood and become more in synch with the environment. According to Fórián, S. and Hagymássy, Z. (2009) green spaces in urban sett ing have primarily an air cleaning role, however, in tourism context their role expands way be- yond that, including a recreational and an aesthetic role that is experienced through seeing, hearing and smelling. The interpreta- tion of this sensory overload needs active par- ticipation from tourists. As they proceed and get deeper into the park, reengagement with nature and the outdoors occurs. Gradually, nature takes over, and reveals itself through the diff erent sizes, shapes, smells and sur- faces of plants. Their greenness exudes peace and quiet and oozes freshness. The sounds of nature: the whispering woods, the still water and the chatt ering birds provide visi- tors an acute sense of belonging and self- awareness, and the artifi cial effi ciency of the railway station and the clock-time schedule become a fading memory. The great asset of parks is their constant evolution even without any human intervention. The authors argue that green spaces represent a touristic value themselves and play a positive role in urban environment. In Bruges the Minnewater Park is also home to the scenic Lake of Love and the Begina Cloister. The pairing of the natural feature with spirituality reinforces a kind of Zen-like feeling and encourages refl ective thinking. Most tourists use the same path to leave the city, so the park frames the visita- tion and ensures the smooth transition from passengers into visitors and vice versa. As for its crowd management role, it forces people Table 4. Main touristic places in Bruges with their natural and architectural slow design elements Places Att ractions Slow design elements Minnewater park Canals Quays Squares Begina cloister, lake waterfront, canal cruise, guide’s narrative waterfront, canal, water monuments green spaces, lake, bridges, fl ora and fauna waterfront, bridges waterfront, bridges, benches passages, tower Source: Author’s compilation, 2014. 151Pécsek, B. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 143–154. to change space and rhythm. As each person adjusts to a diff erent extent, the park can eas- ily absorb a full train of passengers who as a result reach the centre at diff erent times. Canals are defi ned by Fallon, J. (2012, p. 143) as “historical linear parks, serving as leisure space for boating and walking.” In terms of the tourist gaze, canals and quays are in parallel relationship, therefore, off er similar possibili- ties. The key diff erence lies in the perspective and angle. They both have a compelling pull factor and take visitors away from the con- fi ned central area. In the past the role of wa- terways was mainly to speed up traffi c, while in modern urban tourism waterways are usu- ally slowing features. In Bruges canals are not served as public transportation anymore, so they are entirely for the consumption of visitors (Photo 1). Although the canal trip is a compulsory tourist trap, it provides a more intimate, in- sider perspective and reveals angles that other- wise might have been hidden from the tourist gaze. Unpowered water transports like boat trips always mean slower pace and without the need of navigation and orientation, tour- ists have time to refl ect and contemplate. According to Fallon, J. (2012) slowness is synonymous with canals and in many coun- tries there is a speed limit of four miles per hour as not to make waves. In Bruges only a single type of trip is available and depar- ture is possible from 5 points and the boat returns to the same point without a halt. Due to the well-regulated supply – in terms of the number of boats and frequency – the tourist fl ow is more predictable and evenly distrib- uted. The uniformity of boats and umbrellas (provided in case of rain) ensure a harmoni- ously blended environment, thus, enhances aesthetic pleasure. The sailors/guides’ narra- tion expands knowledge and invites engage- ment and participation in the common narra- tive creation. Waterfronts with bridges and benches form an ideal slow design mix and con- tribute to slowing down and breaking the rhythm of walking. The waterfront along the Photo 1. Tourists enjoying canal trips in the heart of Bruges Pécsek, B. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 143–154.152 fi ve-km long quay is the key feature in the Hansa town, home to the most sought-aft er real estates and landmarks. Therefore, wa- terfronts with their distinctive atmosphere are always a drawcard for both locals and tourists. During the stroll, buildings reveal their intricate details and ornamentations, by sneaking into courtyards walkers enjoy a more intimate and personal sense of the place. Reading the plaques on the facades promotes a joy of learning and engages visi- tors to recall and expand their school knowl- edge. Blending the old and new knowledge together, a deeply personal narrative evolves. As opposed to the canal trip, strollers are free to choose their own walking speed and can take advantage of the benches placed at regu- lar intervals for their convenience. Bridges and benches both invite visitors to pose and refl ect. Watching the water full of uniform boats with the Hansa architecture at the back- drop provides a refl ective and sharing mood. Bridges expand way beyond their functional- ity by revealing new angles and perspectives, if strollers stand in the middle. They off er a wider horizon, and inspire people to come up with their own zoom-ins and individual interpretations of the scenery. In the city centre diff erent solutions are necessary to manage the tourist fl ow. The two primary squares of the centre are the Markt and the Burg; both are accessed via Steenstraat, the main street of the city. It is a relatively narrow street with plenty of pas- sages giving visitors the chance of leaving the crowd behind and revealing hidden cor- ners. These in-between places coupled with the commercial facilities available allow tour- ists the dichotomy of mobility/immobility (Deleuze, G. and Guattari, F. 2003), while they engage and participate in window shop- ping and/or retail activity. Thanks to these detours and diversions tourists might take a day to fi nally reach the main square, which is home to a collection of historic buildings, representing almost every era in the history of the city: the gothic Town Hall, the ren- aissance Holy Blood Basilica, the Old Civil Majesty and the Bishop’s palace. Further, the Market Square features two other landmarks: the Belfry tower and the Provincial Court. These fl agship monuments off er some in- teresting historical and cultural insights to expand knowledge and refl ect upon. Horizontal scatt ering of tourists on main squares jam-packed with sights is bordering on the mission impossible. In these cases ver- tical structures such as church towers off er the chance of slowing down pace. The Belfry tower in Bruges has 366 stairs and enjoying the view at the top is the highlight of each city break. Towers are classical slow struc- tures and their biggest advantage lies in the unavoidable and arduous climbing that is necessary to access the panoramic view at the top. So, towers are the most engaging and participatory of all urban att ractions, and most visitors take up the challenge. What is so alluring, then? The combination of the climb, the anticipation and fi nally the view together create such memorable experiences that are worth remembering. The city reveals a kind of postcard image unatt ainable else- where and expands visitors’ horizons in every sense of the word. The sky-perspective gives the sum total of all the mosaic experiences gained on the ground. The view evolves not only as a result of the changes in the urban architectural patt ern but the city also off ers new visual possibilities at diff erent times of the day, season, and year, which encourages repeat viewing. The above discussed natural and man- made structures provide ideal conditions for slow tourism in urban sett ing not only because they slow down pace but the expe- rience gained is characterised by less travel, lower carbon consumption and exploration of local culture and patrimony, all included in the slow tourism concept identifi ed by Dickinson, J.E. et al. (2010). Conclusion In this paper we examined the link between the tourist fl ow and urban planning solutions as well as the way the latt er might contribute 153Pécsek, B. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 143–154. to slowing down city tourists and dispers- ing them more evenly in urban areas. The natural and man-made design elements were explained by using the six main fea- tures of slow design defi ned by Strauss, C. and Fuad-Luke, G. (2008). Then, the question was explored how the various urban solu- tions including green spaces, land and water related structures infl uence the tourist fl ow by slowing down pace and enforcing rhythm change. We argue that even historic cities as Bruges with a large number of visitors have design tools in order to redistribute tourists. As a result, visitors leave with more memo- rable experiences while locals get on with their life with less interference by tourists. The study ultimately aimed to bring together all stakeholders and open an intellectual dia- logue on potential design tools to help urban destinations cope successfully with spatial and temporal management of the tourist fl ow. Further studies should aim to explore the demand side of slow urban tourism, which would give a clearer idea in terms of development and fi ne-tuning of slow design elements in popular urban destinations. REFERENCES Biczó, G. 2011. A hely és a reprezentáció (The place and the representation). In Színre vitt helyek. Ed.: Fejős, Z. Budapest, Néprajzi Múzeum, 7–17. Bryon, J. 2005. De Dialectische Relatie tussen Stadbewoners en de Toeristischstedelij ke Ruimte. Case Study: Bruges. Unplublished Ph.D Thesis. Leuven, Katholieke Universitet Leuven. Bryon, J. and Neuts, B. 2008. Crowding and the Tourist Experience in an Urban Environment: a Structural Equation Modelling Approach. htt p://www.steunpunt- toerisme.be/main/fi les/nieuwsbrief/oktober_2008/pa- perNVVS_bart_neuts.pdf 1–14. (15 June 2013). Deleuze, G. and Guattari, F. 2003. A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia. Minnesota, University of Minnesota Press, 632 p. Dickinson, J.E., Lumsdon, D. and Robbins, D.K. 2010. Slow Travel: Issues for Tourism and Climate Change. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 19. (3): 281–300. Dickinson, J.E., Robbins, D., Filimonou, V., Hares, A. and Mika, M. 2013. Awareness of Tourism Impacts on Climate Change and the Implications for Travel Practice: A Polish Perspective. Journal of Travel Research 52. (4): 506–519. Fallon, J. 2012. If You Are Making Waves then You Have to Slow down: Slow tourism and Canals. In Slow Tourism: Experiences and Mobilities. Eds.: Fullagar, S. et al. Bristol, Channel View, 143–154. Fórián, S. and Hagymássy, Z. 2009. Zöldfelületek szerepe az urbanizált környezetben (The role of green surfaces in urbanized environs). Debreceni Műszaki Közlemények 1–2. htt p://www.eng.unideb. hu/userdir/dmk/docs/20091/09_1_05.pdf (20 June 2013). Honoré, C. 2005. In Praise of Slowness. New York, HarperCollins, 288 p. Jensen, O.B. 2009. Flows of Meaning, Cultures of Movements Urban Mobility as Meaningful every- day Life Practice. Mobilities 4. (1): 139–158. Knox, P. 2005. Creating Ordinary Places: Slow Cities in a Fast World. Journal of Urban Design 1. 1–11. Lumsdon, L. and McGrath, P. 2010. Developing a Conceptual Framework for Slow Travel: a Grounded Theory Approach. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 3. 265–279. Michalkó, G. 2012. Turizmológia (Tourismology). Budapest, Akadémiai Kiadó, 206 p. Michalkó, G. and Rátz, T. 2006. The Mediterranean Tourist Milieu. Anatolia: An International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research 17. (1): 93–109. Nemes, Nagy J. 2009. Terek, helyek, régiók. A regionális tudomány alapjai. (Spaces, places regions. Bases of re- gional science). Budapest, Akadémiai Kiadó, 350 p. Niedermüller, P. 2000. Városi turizmus. Történelem, művészet, egzotikum (Urban tourism. History, art, egzotics). In Turizmus és kommunikáció. Eds.: Fejős, Z. and Szij ártó, Zs. Budapest, Néprajzi Múzeum. 31–38. Oldfield, P. 2013. Középkori turizmus (Medieval tourism). BBC History 3. 50–55. Petrini, C. 2007. Slow Food Nation: Why Our Food should be Good, Clean and Fair? New York, Rizzoli Ex Libris, 304 p. Pine, P.J. and Gilmore, J.H. 1999. The Experience Economy. Boston, Harvard University Press, 470 p. Popp, M. 2012. Positive and Negative Urban Tourist Crowding: Florence, Italy. Tourism Geographies: An International Journal of Tourism Space, Place and Environment 14. (1): 50–72. Puczkó, L. and Rátz, T. 2003. Turizmus történelmi városokban. Tervezés és menedzsment (Tourism in his- torical towns. Planning and management). Budapest, Turisztikai Oktató és Kutató Kkt, 111 p. Selby, M. 2004. Consuming the City: Conceptualizing and Researching Urban Tourist Knowledge. Tourism Geographies 6. (2): 186–207. Senneth, R. 1994. Flesh and Stone. The Body and the City in Western Civilization. New York, W.W. Norton and Company. Strauss, C. and Fuad-Luke, G. 2008. The Slow Design Principles. 1–14. http://www.slowlab.net/CtC_ SlowDesignPrinciples.pdf (2 January 2014. Pécsek, B. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin 64 (2015) (2) 143–154.154 Sulyok, J. 2002. Brugge. http://itthon.hu/site/up- load/mtrt/Turizmus_Bulletin/02_03/Tu-Re30.htm (8 June 2013) Szij ártó, Zs. 2011. Turisták, bárhol – a városi turiz- musról (Touristst anywhere – about urban tourism). In Színre vitt helyek. Ed.: Fejős, Z. Budapest, Néprajzi Múzeum.171–176. UNWTO, 2002. Tourism Vision 2020. UNWTO, 2013. Global Report on City Tourism 2012. htt p://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/fi les/ pdf/am6_city_platma.pdf (20 June 2013. WHO, 2014. Urban Population Growth, 2014. htt p:// www.who.int/gho/urban_health/situation_trends/ urban_population_growth_text/en/ (30 June 2014). Homepages: www.citt aslow.com, www.euromonitor. org, www.planetware.com, www.slowfood.com, www.slowlab.net, www.toerismevlaanderen.fl << /ASCII85EncodePages false /AllowTransparency false /AutoPositionEPSFiles true /AutoRotatePages /None /Binding /Left /CalGrayProfile (Dot Gain 20%) /CalRGBProfile (sRGB IEC61966-2.1) /CalCMYKProfile (U.S. Web Coated \050SWOP\051 v2) /sRGBProfile (sRGB IEC61966-2.1) /CannotEmbedFontPolicy /Error /CompatibilityLevel 1.3 /CompressObjects /Tags /CompressPages true /ConvertImagesToIndexed true /PassThroughJPEGImages true /CreateJobTicket false /DefaultRenderingIntent /Default /DetectBlends true /DetectCurves 0.0000 /ColorConversionStrategy /LeaveColorUnchanged /DoThumbnails false /EmbedAllFonts true /EmbedOpenType false /ParseICCProfilesInComments true /EmbedJobOptions true /DSCReportingLevel 0 /EmitDSCWarnings false /EndPage -1 /ImageMemory 1048576 /LockDistillerParams false /MaxSubsetPct 100 /Optimize false /OPM 1 /ParseDSCComments true /ParseDSCCommentsForDocInfo true /PreserveCopyPage true /PreserveDICMYKValues true /PreserveEPSInfo true /PreserveFlatness true /PreserveHalftoneInfo false /PreserveOPIComments true /PreserveOverprintSettings true /StartPage 1 /SubsetFonts true /TransferFunctionInfo /Apply /UCRandBGInfo /Preserve /UsePrologue false /ColorSettingsFile () /AlwaysEmbed [ true ] /NeverEmbed [ true ] /AntiAliasColorImages false /CropColorImages true /ColorImageMinResolution 300 /ColorImageMinResolutionPolicy /OK /DownsampleColorImages true /ColorImageDownsampleType /Bicubic /ColorImageResolution 300 /ColorImageDepth -1 /ColorImageMinDownsampleDepth 1 /ColorImageDownsampleThreshold 1.50000 /EncodeColorImages true /ColorImageFilter /DCTEncode /AutoFilterColorImages true /ColorImageAutoFilterStrategy /JPEG /ColorACSImageDict << /QFactor 0.15 /HSamples [1 1 1 1] /VSamples [1 1 1 1] >> /ColorImageDict << /QFactor 0.15 /HSamples [1 1 1 1] /VSamples [1 1 1 1] >> /JPEG2000ColorACSImageDict << /TileWidth 256 /TileHeight 256 /Quality 30 >> /JPEG2000ColorImageDict << /TileWidth 256 /TileHeight 256 /Quality 30 >> /AntiAliasGrayImages false /CropGrayImages true /GrayImageMinResolution 300 /GrayImageMinResolutionPolicy /OK /DownsampleGrayImages true /GrayImageDownsampleType /Bicubic /GrayImageResolution 300 /GrayImageDepth -1 /GrayImageMinDownsampleDepth 2 /GrayImageDownsampleThreshold 1.50000 /EncodeGrayImages true /GrayImageFilter /DCTEncode /AutoFilterGrayImages true /GrayImageAutoFilterStrategy /JPEG /GrayACSImageDict << /QFactor 0.15 /HSamples [1 1 1 1] /VSamples [1 1 1 1] >> /GrayImageDict << /QFactor 0.15 /HSamples [1 1 1 1] /VSamples [1 1 1 1] >> /JPEG2000GrayACSImageDict << /TileWidth 256 /TileHeight 256 /Quality 30 >> /JPEG2000GrayImageDict << /TileWidth 256 /TileHeight 256 /Quality 30 >> /AntiAliasMonoImages false /CropMonoImages true /MonoImageMinResolution 1200 /MonoImageMinResolutionPolicy /OK /DownsampleMonoImages true /MonoImageDownsampleType /Bicubic /MonoImageResolution 1200 /MonoImageDepth -1 /MonoImageDownsampleThreshold 1.50000 /EncodeMonoImages true /MonoImageFilter /CCITTFaxEncode /MonoImageDict << /K -1 >> /AllowPSXObjects false /CheckCompliance [ /None ] /PDFX1aCheck false /PDFX3Check false /PDFXCompliantPDFOnly false /PDFXNoTrimBoxError true /PDFXTrimBoxToMediaBoxOffset [ 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 ] /PDFXSetBleedBoxToMediaBox true /PDFXBleedBoxToTrimBoxOffset [ 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 ] /PDFXOutputIntentProfile (None) /PDFXOutputConditionIdentifier () /PDFXOutputCondition () /PDFXRegistryName () /PDFXTrapped /False /CreateJDFFile false /Description << /ARA /BGR /CHS /CHT /CZE /DAN /DEU /ESP /ETI /FRA /GRE /HEB /HRV (Za stvaranje Adobe PDF dokumenata najpogodnijih za visokokvalitetni ispis prije tiskanja koristite ove postavke. Stvoreni PDF dokumenti mogu se otvoriti Acrobat i Adobe Reader 5.0 i kasnijim verzijama.) /ITA /JPN /KOR /LTH /LVI /NLD (Gebruik deze instellingen om Adobe PDF-documenten te maken die zijn geoptimaliseerd voor prepress-afdrukken van hoge kwaliteit. De gemaakte PDF-documenten kunnen worden geopend met Acrobat en Adobe Reader 5.0 en hoger.) /NOR /POL /PTB /RUM /RUS /SKY /SLV /SUO /SVE /TUR /UKR /ENU (Use these settings to create Adobe PDF documents best suited for high-quality prepress printing. Created PDF documents can be opened with Acrobat and Adobe Reader 5.0 and later.) /HUN >> /Namespace [ (Adobe) (Common) (1.0) ] /OtherNamespaces [ << /AsReaderSpreads false /CropImagesToFrames true /ErrorControl /WarnAndContinue /FlattenerIgnoreSpreadOverrides false /IncludeGuidesGrids false /IncludeNonPrinting false /IncludeSlug false /Namespace [ (Adobe) (InDesign) (4.0) ] /OmitPlacedBitmaps false /OmitPlacedEPS false /OmitPlacedPDF false /SimulateOverprint /Legacy >> << /AddBleedMarks false /AddColorBars false /AddCropMarks false /AddPageInfo false /AddRegMarks false /ConvertColors /ConvertToCMYK /DestinationProfileName () /DestinationProfileSelector /DocumentCMYK /Downsample16BitImages true /FlattenerPreset << /PresetSelector /MediumResolution >> /FormElements false /GenerateStructure false /IncludeBookmarks false /IncludeHyperlinks false /IncludeInteractive false /IncludeLayers false /IncludeProfiles false /MultimediaHandling /UseObjectSettings /Namespace [ (Adobe) (CreativeSuite) (2.0) ] /PDFXOutputIntentProfileSelector /DocumentCMYK /PreserveEditing true /UntaggedCMYKHandling /LeaveUntagged /UntaggedRGBHandling /UseDocumentProfile /UseDocumentBleed false >> ] >> setdistillerparams << /HWResolution [2400 2400] /PageSize [612.000 792.000] >> setpagedevice