Abstract
Quality learning for sustainability can have a transformative effect in terms of promoting empowerment, leadership and wise investments in individual and collective lives and regenerating the local economies of cities, making them more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. It can also help cities move towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Effecting the transformation of cities into Learning Cities, however, requires changes in the structure of governance. Drawing on interviews with key informants as well as secondary data, this article examines how collaborative governance has facilitated quality learning for sustainability in Bristol (United Kingdom), Kitakyushu (Japan) and Tongyeong (Republic of Korea). Focusing on a conceptual framework and practical application of learning initiatives, this comparative study reveals how these cities’ governance mechanisms and institutional structures supported initiatives premised on cooperative learning relationships. While recognising differences in the scope and depth of the learning initiatives and the need for further improvements, the authors found evidence of general support for the governance structures and mechanisms for learning in these cities. The authors conclude by recommending that (1) to implement the Learning Cities concept based on UNESCO’s Key Features of Learning Cities, recognition should be given to existing sustainability-related learning initiatives in cities; (2) collaborative governance of the Learning Cities concept at both local and international levels should be streamlined; and (3) UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities could serve as a hub for sharing education/learning resources and experiences for other international city-related programmes as an important contribution to the implementation of the SDGs.
Résumé
Comment la gestion concertée peut faciliter un apprentissage de qualité en vue du développement durable dans les villes : étude de cas comparative à Bristol, Kitakyushu et Tongyeong – Un enseignement de qualité visant la viabilité peut avoir plusieurs effets transformateurs : stimulation de l’autonomisation, de l’esprit d’initiative et d’investissements judicieux dans la vie individuelle et collective, ainsi que relance de l’économie régionale des villes, qui favorise leur caractère inclusif, leur sécurité, leur résilience et leur pérennité. Cet enseignement peut en outre aider les villes à progresser vers l’atteinte des objectifs de développement durable (ODD) des Nations Unies. Réaliser la transformation des agglomérations en villes apprenantes exige néanmoins des changements au niveau de la structure de gouvernance. Au moyen d’entretiens menés avec des informateurs clés ainsi que de données secondaires, les auteurs de l’article examinent comment la gouvernance concertée facilite un apprentissage de qualité en vue de la pérennité dans les villes de Bristol (Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d’Irlande du Nord), Kitakyushu (Japon) et Tongyeong (République de Corée). Fondée sur un cadre conceptuel et sur l’application pratique d’initiatives apprenantes, cette étude comparative démontre comment les mécanismes de gouvernance et structures institutionnelles de ces villes favorisent des initiatives reposant sur des relations d’apprentissage coopératif. Tout en relevant les différences en étendue et en portée de ces initiatives et le besoin d’améliorations supplémentaires, les auteurs constatent un soutien global aux structures de gouvernance et aux mécanismes d’apprentissage dans ces villes. Ils concluent par trois recommandations : 1) Pour réaliser le concept des villes apprenantes énoncé dans les Caractéristiques clés des villes apprenantes de l’UNESCO, il importe de valoriser les initiatives d’apprentissage liées à la pérennité existantes dans les villes. 2) La gouvernance concertée du concept de ville apprenante doit être rationalisée au niveau tant local qu’international. 3) Le Réseau mondial UNESCO des villes apprenantes pourrait servir à d’autres programmes urbains internationaux de plaque tournante dans le partage des ressources et des expériences en enseignement et apprentissage, ce qui représenterait une contribution décisive à la réalisation des ODD.
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Notes
SDG 11 aims to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. SDG 4 aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” (UN 2015).
The two dimensions of learning presented by David Kolb are (1) perception, signifying the way information is grasped from experience, ranging from concrete experience to abstract conceptualisation; and (2) processing, which is the way in which the information is processed, ranging from active experimentation to reflective observation. The four learning styles are: divergence, assimilation, convergence and accommodation (Ofei-Manu and Didham 2012).
Bristol’s Youth Mayors are young people elected by their peers to represent them and the city. They have regular meetings with the elected city Mayor. The Bristol Junior Chamber is part of a global not-for-profit organisation for 18-40-year-olds run by its members to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change. Both the Youth Mayors and a representative of the Junior Chamber are members of the Learning City Board.
Bristol’s Learning Ambassadors are are local volunteers from the business sector and the community who are passionate about learning and want to both support the development of the Learning City and share the City’s message that learning can change lives.
According to the definition of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), a living laboratory is a “user-centred, open innovation ecosyste[m] based on [a] systematic user co-creation approach, integrating research and innovation processes in real life communities and settings” (http://www.openlivinglabs.eu/node/1429 [accessed 14 September 2017]).
Derived from whitewashing (concealing negative information to make something or someone look trustworthy), the term greenwashing refers to feigning an environmentally responsible public image.
Challenge Groups are composed of local partners tackling identified priorities through three themed groups, namely Learning for work, Learning in Education and Learning in the Community. For more information, see http://www.bristollearningcity.com/about/challenge-groups/ [accessed 25 August 2017].
For more information on the PASCAL Observatory, see https://pascalobservatory.org/about/introduction [accessed 14 September 2017].
“In a nutshell: Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly” (Wenger-Trayner and Wenger-Trayner 2015).
According to its own website, the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) “is a leading research and teaching institute based in Tokyo, Japan. Its mission is to advance efforts towards a more sustainable future, through policy-oriented research and capacity development focused on sustainability and its social, economic and environmental dimensions. UNU-IAS serves the international community through innovative contributions to high-level policymaking and debates, addressing priority issues for the UN system” (https://ias.unu.edu/en/about-unu-ias#overview [accessed 25 August 2017]).
According to its own website, 100 Resilient Cities (100RC), “pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, is dedicated to helping cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges that are a growing part of the 21st century” (http://www.100resilientcities.org/about-us/#section-2). The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) maintains a network of “Local Governments for Sustainability”. For more information, see http://www.iclei.org/about/who-is-iclei.html [both websites accessed 25 August 2017].
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Ofei-Manu, P., Didham, R.J., Byun, W.J. et al. How collaborative governance can facilitate quality learning for sustainability in cities: A comparative case study of Bristol, Kitakyushu and Tongyeong. Int Rev Educ 64, 373–392 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-017-9667-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-017-9667-9