Strengthening LLL at the local level

LLL policies, though normally made at the national level, are often created or at least mediated at the local level. When it comes to LLL implementation, the local level is vital, as it is often the nucleus of complex stakeholder relationships that transcend levels of implementation and sectors.

Much of this chapter details the characteristics of learning cities and, specifically, the learning city model advanced by the UNESCO GNLC. Building learning cities has proven effective for enhancing access to and participation in lifelong learning, contributing to the creation of more sustainable living environments. However, it is important to remember that despite the increasing trend of urbanization, large proportions of the world’s population live in rural areas. The global pattern of rural-to-urban migration does not eclipse the fact that almost half (45 per cent) of the world’s population today is still living in rural areas, with close to 90 per cent of the world’s total rural population living in Africa and Asia (UN DESA, 2018). For this reason, we must also consider how LLL can be implemented effectively in cities’ surroundings and in villages. This is sometimes put into practice with a ‘learning regions’ designation, the scope of which extends beyond a single city to constitute a wider area in which LLL opportunities are promoted to foster sustainable regional development and innovation. To provide a consistent teaching case, however, we remain focused on learning cities throughout this chapter.

LLL implementation in learning cities

Before focusing on the learning city model advanced by the UNESCO GNLC, it is important to note that key ideas supporting the wider learning city concept have come from a variety of cultures and are connected to early thinkers and leaders in the field of adult education and LLL (Watson and Wu, 2015). Though often led by local stakeholders, the learning city model is also a matter for national governments and should be supported by LLL policy development at the national level.

In the Republic of Korea, ‘lifelong learning cities’ began to develop in earnest following the Asian financial crisis of 1997; this designation was assigned to Korean cities throughout the 2000s and 2010s, promoted and supported by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (Han and Makino, 2013). In China, Beijing launched its learning city agenda in 1999 to promote innovation, sustainability and inclusiveness. In 2011, Jordan’s capital, Amman, launched its learning city project, a collaborative initiative between the Arab Education Forum and Greater Amman Municipality (UIL, 2015a). In South Africa, the Western Cape Province adopted the ‘Learning Cape’ framework in 2001 to integrate learning for people of all ages both in and out of school (Walters, 2009).

While cities differ in their cultural composition and their social, political and economic structures, they have many learning city characteristics in common. Fundamentally, learning cities consider implementing lifelong learning as an effective approach to address the specific challenges they face. They mobilize resources in every sector, draw on the strength of various partners, and connect formal and non-formal educational institutions to provide all kinds of learning opportunities that meet the diverse learning needs of their citizens. Due to the proximity of citizens and local resources, learning cities can take immediate and customized action, respond to emergencies and address citizens’ learning needs more flexibly and efficiently, especially the needs of vulnerable groups. Learning cities put people at the centre of development. They promote education and lifelong learning for all and, with this, they facilitate individual empowerment, social cohesion, economic and cultural prosperity, and sustainability.

Along with learning cities, several other concepts for urban development have emerged in recent decades, mostly with a specific development focus such as education, health, demographic change, economic development and new technologies. These developments have resulted in a diversity of national and international networks for creative cities, smart cities, healthy cities, resilient cities and age-friendly cities, among many others.