The Slow Food movement challenged the poor quality and damaging effects of fast food. Now we need a Slow Policy movement to tackle the damaging effects of government policy processes.

1. forget slow food...
we need slow policy
Julian Dobson • Urban Pollinators

2. home sweet home: the UK has a history of
creating terrible places – through
over-intervention or by ignoring the problems

3. but isn’t it easier just to blame the people?

4. seven steps
to slow policy

5. step one: design for
permanence, not
transience
create neighbourhood-focused
and locally accountable housing
organisations with a long term
stake in each neighbourhood

6. step two: nurture
community networks
build networks of support and
respect that value everyone’s
time and talents, not just the
abilities that command a market
premium

7. step three: make
welfare relational,
not adversarial
build trust and friendship to
enable people to resolve their
crises, instead of assuming ‘a
job’ is the solution and punishing
those who fail to find one

8. step four: create
space to grow
and thrive
open up neglected spaces to
give people the power to create a
better environment

9. step five: live life
at walking pace
create spaces of activity and
interest to build interaction,
neighbourliness and opportunity

10. step six: design
services for discretion
and fluidity
enable housing and welfare
professionals to tailor advice and
help to the unique circumstances
of those who need support

11. step seven:
empower people with
a universal basic
income
give every citizen the ability to
balance the social value of
building community with the
economic value of paid labour

12. “practice... is about making the ordinary special, and
the special more widely accessible” ~ Nabeel Hamdi

13. thank you
@juliandobson
urbanpollinators.co.uk