One of the highlights of the PASCAL 2016 Conference in Glasgow will be the City Showcase presentations for 14 cities around the world. The presentations will include cities in Asia, Europe, and Oceania and will show a number of creative innovations in learning city development that will inform future directions for learning cities.
The presentations will include Beijing, Taipei, Bristol, Cork, Limerick, Essen and Changzhou (Sino German initiative), Erbil, Dohuk, Swansea, Acireale, Glasgow, Modiin (Israeli Learning Cities) and the Australian Learning Communities Network. A representative sample of abstracts already submitted appear below...
The Conference will provide opportunities for discussions with presenters from these cities, and for sharing ideas for further development of these directions.
City Showcase Summaries
Acireale learning city - The urban center
The presentation concerns the creation and development processes of the Urban Center (UC) of the city of Acireale. Specifically, it describes the activities carried out and the contribution that the Centre is offering to policymaking for city planning and economic and social regeneration of the historic centre of Acireale.
The UC, thanks to the partnership between the University of Catania and the municipality of Acireale, has been designed as a place of cooperation between the city and the local administration, especially for what concerns urban policies related to environmental issues, social disadvantage and restoration and valorisation of cultural heritage of the city.
The creation of the UC is included in the activities of community engagement that the University is trying to activate in the region, also through the recent establishment of the Research Centre for Community University Engagement (CUrE).
Australian Learning Communities Network (ALCN)
The Australian Learning Communities Network Inc (ALCN) showcase presentation will outline the organisation’s work with members to promote lifelong learning as a driver of positive solutions to the challenges faced by communities. It will also demonstrate how the organisation has fostered sustainable inclusive communities built upon networks and partnerships with governments, public and private organisations. The ALCN Inc is a strong supporter of the development of state and regional based networks such as Gwydir Learning Region (NSW), Hume Global Learning Village, City of Melton, Townsville City Council and others. An overview of these Australian learning cities and regions will be revealed that highlights:
- the challenges faced by these communities;
- the similarities and differences in their approach;
- outcomes achieved; and
- evaluation of impact of learning programs delivered.
Bristol Learning City
Bristol Learning City is delighted to be attending and showcasing at the PASCAL Glasgow conference in June 2016. We are committed to developing Bristol as a world class city, with learning at the heart of our journey.
In Bristol a group of city wide leaders has come together to promote learning and tackle some of the challenges facing our social, economic and environmental development. In 2015 Bristol held the title of European Green Capital; building on this, 2016 has been designated as Bristol’s Year of Learning. Bristol Learning City will use the City Showcase to highlight the benefits of partnership working with the aim of improving outcomes for citizens, now and in the future.
A delegate of City Leaders will present a picture of Bristol as a Learning, Resilient and Green City, where partnership development is creating a city of world class standings, ready to face the challenges of the future.
City Showcase Session – Pécs ( Hungary)
PÉCS-Profile and its distinctiveness :
- relatively small-scale university city (150 thousand inhabitants);
- with weakening economic strength;
- aiming at focussing on culture-led development;
- a former ECOC-city (2010), labelling itself:” The city of culture”, making effort to achieve the title „Green city” as well.
Community involvement in planning for the city’s long –term development ( 2014-2030) and complying with sustainability criteria:
The Pécs Learning City-Learning Region initiative
Learning communities, community –based development networks, and policy agendas
City development games for the youth
Means of mobilizing local resources
Participating stakeholders: The university’s role
Cork City Showcase Presentation
Cork Learning City is pleased to announce that it will be presenting as one of the City Showcase presentations at the PASCAL Glasgow conference. Cork’s progression as a Learning City in recent years can be traced back to the 2002 City Development Board’s 10 Year Plan ‘Imagine our Future’ and the selection of ‘Cork as Learning City’ as one of just 7 overarching goals in that plan. Our presentation will focus on the milestones in the development of our Learning City thinking, engagement with citizens and governance since then.
At the heart of the presentation will be the key factor in this development - the Cork Lifelong Learning Festival, run annually since 2004, and the part it has played in involving citizens, communities and a wide range of agencies across all sectors in the Learning City agenda. By 2012 the success and growth of the Festival had created the conditions for linking with PASCAL to take an EcCoWeLL approach to Learning City development, and this successfully connected the Festival Organising Committee with the City Council Economic Directorate and leaders from the Health, Environmental and Cultural Sectors.
The presentation will include a reflection on recent milestones including the award given by UNESCO in 2015 as one of the 12 case study cities featured in their publication ‘Unlocking the Potential of Urban Communities’ and on the most recent development - the co-creation by our working group GLLiC (Growing Lifelong Learning in Cork) of two Learning Neighbourhood Pilots in disadvantaged communities. Cork’s delegation will include leaders in this Learning Neighbourhood initiative and it is hoped that our story may offer some lessons, comparisons and encouragement for Learning City strategies in cities of a similar size.
It is also hoped that new connections can be made with cities that have similar interests as a way to advance our PASCAL EcCoWeLL Learning City network intentions.
Swansea Bay City Region
The presentation will consider progress in developing Swansea Bay Learning City Region.
The Welsh Government identifies two key themes, “developing a buoyant economy” and “supporting social justice”, as essential for development in Wales.
The presentation considers steps taken to implement these policies through a focus on developing entrepreneurial skills and attitudes. There are three complementary pillars which support the development of the Swansea Bay Learning City Region.
- Swansea Bay City Region Partnership leads on economic regeneration. It ensures that the infrastructure and investment which support research, development and innovation are in place;
- The Regional Learning Partnership is a collaboration of all learning providers and develops learning and skills pathways which are responsive to employer needs for growth;
- The UNESCO Learning City Initiative supports the development of entrepreneurial capacity and reviews entrepreneurial learning provision to ensure inclusivity.
The presentation considers the definition, vision and objectives of Swansea Bay Learning City Region. The implementation is located within an anti-poverty agenda which is the priority for the City and County of Swansea. We review the Welsh Government’s Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy and consider recent results.
It is acknowledged that the Learning City is brought to life by creative individuals, and the presentation includes examples of their work.
Finally Norman Longworth defines the key features of an entrepreneurial learning city.
The role of cultural heritage in Erbil city as a motivation for social learning: Erbil Citadel as case study
Erbil Citadel (UNESCO world heritage site) is considered as one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world and the main historical landmark within its long history in the heart of Erbil City. The presentation starts with brief information and background on Erbil City and its learning development perspectives.
Then the Citadel as a detailed case study and the main part of the presentation, exploring its significance and the revitalization project, in addition to demonstrating how it becomes the vibrant cultural heart of the modern city of Erbil and its development to an open air museum and to a site with a potential learning capacity that evolved up to the present day as a vital settlement with a continuing role in social learning practices along its long history. The PowerPoint presentation will be the core of the City showcase, in addition to other supported materials or documents, such as books, brochures, posters, short films or videos.
The session ends with open discussions through raising questions on different topics related to the presented case and in the interest of the future development of Erbil as a cultural Learning City.
Further details on the PASCAL 2016 Conference website...
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