Learning Cities as Engines of Community Transformation and Lifelong Learning

 

In a world marked by increasing urbanization, social fragmentation, and the pressing need for inclusive lifelong learning, the learning city concept has emerged as a powerful framework for collective growth. At the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Conference in Florence, the Working Group 6 (WG6) on Learning Cities, mentored by Arne Carlsen (IACEHOF 2017) and co-chaired by Annalisa Raymer and Margaret Shanahan with Balázs Németh as discussant, engaged in a rich dialogue about how learning cities can foster inclusive education, sustainability, and innovation. 

 

The group’s vision went beyond theory—it aimed to craft practical strategies for making learning cities functional, resilient, and future-ready. Participants examined how learning cities can operate as spaces of dialogue, centers of civic engagement, and drivers of social, economic, and environmental transformation.

 

Understanding the Role of Learning Cities

The working group identified several dimensions of what makes a learning city effective. These cities serve as:

• Mechanisms for Local Dialogue: Learning cities create environments where diverse stakeholders—educators, residents, policymakers, and civil society—discuss shared priorities and solutions.
• Engines of Lifelong Learning: They embrace the idea that learning occurs across the lifespan and in all aspects of life—formal, non-formal, and informal.
• Governance Innovators: Learning cities introduce participatory governance models where public administrators and local actors become co-creators of learning ecosystems.
• Agents of Change: They are uniquely positioned to align lifelong learning with broader global transitions, such as the green economy, digital transformation, and migration.

 

Creating a Toolbox for Learning Cities

A significant output of WG6 will be the development of a toolbox—a shared repository of best practices, case studies, frameworks, and resources to help cities worldwide implement and sustain learning initiatives.

This toolbox will serve as a technical resource and a platform for peer learning and cross-cultural exchange. It will include elements such as:

• Guidelines for city administrators and education leaders
• Templates for local learning strategies
• Examples of stakeholder engagement models
• Tools for participatory planning and evaluation

 

Key Themes for Further Research and Collaboration

WG6 outlined several research priorities and practical applications for advancing the learning city movement:

1. Trans-Atlantic and Cross-Regional Cooperation:
• Comparative research between Asian, European, and American cities will illuminate diverse pathways to building learning-friendly urban environments.
• Understanding regional dynamics enhances the adaptability of strategies and helps tailor interventions to cultural and political contexts.
2. Higher Education and Civic Engagement:
• Universities must be more than providers of degrees; they should become embedded institutions within learning cities, offering research support, outreach programs, and public learning opportunities.
3. Greening Adult Learning:
• Sustainability and environmental stewardship must be integrated into lifelong learning agendas. Cities can promote eco-literacy, green skills, and climate resilience education as part of civic engagement.
4. Youth Engagement:
• Young people are both beneficiaries and creators of learning cities. Programs should support youth agency, intergenerational learning, and civic activism.
5. Innovative Monitoring and Evaluation:
• Developing creative ways to track learning impact—including participatory assessments, community storytelling, and social media analysis—will strengthen accountability and learning city branding.
6. Commoning and Social Resilience:
• The group explored how cities can facilitate “commoning”—shared ownership of public spaces, resources, and knowledge—as a pathway to greater social cohesion and collective well-being.

 

No One-Size-Fits-All Recipe

A key insight from WG6 was the acknowledgment that learning cities must be deeply context-specific. There is no universal model. Instead, learning cities should be adaptive ecosystems, shaped by local values, assets, and needs.

 

Still, the group hopes that documenting diverse practices and principles can contribute to a growing collective intelligence around how learning cities function best.

 

A Call to Action

WG6’s work lays the foundation for practical, grassroots-driven change. By fostering collaboration among cities, building accessible knowledge platforms, and engaging a wide array of stakeholders—from youth to city planners—learning cities can become true hubs of equity, unity, and transformation.

 

Learning cities represent a hopeful vision of place-based education that builds stronger, smarter, and more compassionate communities in a time of uncertainty and change.