Learning for and from the city : the role of education in urban social cohesion

Abstract

Learning is a central factor of social and spatial cohesion. Educational institutions play a significant role in the reproduction or transformation of social relations by conveying values and practices that either sustain or contradict the dominant societal structures. Learning is also crucial for the enhancement of urban governance, insofar as it is associated with the promotion of critical thinking, access to information and participation in collective decision-making processes. This article discusses how education contributes to inclusive urban development and local collective identities through the responses it provides to three issues – innovation and creativity, citizenship, and cultural diversity – that have become crucial challenges to urban social cohesion. The last section aims to materialise this discussion around two concrete urban processes : the development of local learning communities – learning from the city ; and the role of educational institutions in socially inclusive urban regeneration processes – learning for the city.

Keywords

• education
• knowledge
• learning
• social innovation
• urban social cohesion
• local communities