My Journey with the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities: Building Communities Through Lifelong Learning

 

  

By Arne Carlsen (HOF 2017)

When I became Director of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) in 2011, I was convinced that lifelong learning should extend far beyond schools and universities. Learning takes place in homes, workplaces, libraries, museums, community centers, and public spaces. If learning is truly lifelong, then our cities must become environments where everyone has the opportunity to learn throughout life.

This belief shaped my work with the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC), an initiative that places lifelong learning at the heart of sustainable urban development. The network encourages cities to view learning as a shared responsibility involving local government, educational institutions, businesses, civil society and citizens themselves.

One of the greatest privileges of my career was seeing cities across the world embrace this vision. Despite their different cultures, languages, and circumstances, they shared a common understanding: communities thrive when learning opportunities are available to everyone, regardless of age or background.

The GNLC became much more than a network of municipalities. It evolved into a global community where cities could exchange ideas, share successful practices, and learn from one another. A city tackling literacy challenges could benefit from another city's innovative community programs, while others drew inspiration from initiatives promoting digital inclusion, intergenerational learning, and active citizenship.

At UIL, we sought to provide both strategic direction and practical support. Together with colleagues and international partners, we developed guiding frameworks, organized international conferences and encouraged peer learning among member cities. Rather than promoting a single model, we encouraged every city to build on its own strengths while working towards a common goal: creating a culture of lifelong learning.

Throughout my travels, I met mayors, educators, and community leaders whose commitment was both inspiring and practical. Libraries became vibrant learning hubs, museums expanded their educational role, employers invested in workforce development, and volunteers supported literacy initiatives. These experiences confirmed that lifelong learning is not an abstract policy concept but a powerful way to improve people's lives and strengthen communities.

The Learning City movement also reinforced my belief that lifelong learning is essential for achieving sustainable development. Education supports not only individual growth but also better health, social inclusion, gender equality, employment, environmental responsibility, and democratic participation. Cities that invest in learning invest in their future resilience and prosperity.

One lesson stands out above all others: successful learning cities are built through partnerships. No single institution can create a learning society. Progress depends on collaboration between municipal authorities, educational institutions, cultural organizations, businesses, and community groups. When these partners work together, learning becomes woven into the fabric of everyday life.

Equally important is inclusion. A learning city must reach those who have traditionally had fewer educational opportunities, including older adults, migrants, refugees, people with disabilities, and those who left formal education early. Lifelong learning fulfills its promise only when it expands opportunities for everyone.

Looking back, I am proud that the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities has grown into a worldwide movement connecting more than four hundred cities committed to lifelong learning. More importantly, it has created lasting partnerships and inspired local innovation across every region of the world.

Today, rapid technological change and artificial intelligence, climate challenges, political and security issues, demographic shifts, and growing inequalities make lifelong learning more important than ever. These challenges require citizens who continue learning throughout their lives and cities that actively support this process.

My hope is that the Learning City movement will continue to inspire future leaders to place learning, inclusion, and human dignity at the center of urban development. By doing so, cities will become not only more competitive and sustainable but also more inclusive, resilient, and humane. Lifelong learning remains one of the most powerful investments we can make in the future of our communities.

Join the Conversation
Every learning city has its own story, and every educator, policymaker, and community leader brings a unique perspective on what lifelong learning can achieve. What examples have you seen in your own community? What opportunities or challenges do you believe will shape the future of learning cities? We invite you to share your experiences, ideas, and reflections in the comments below. By learning from one another, we continue the spirit of collaboration that has been at the heart of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities from the very beginning.

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.