What is a learning city?

It’s a city whose municipal authorities ensure that learning doesn’t stop at the school gates, but remains accessible throughout life, in all environments and for all.

The main obstacles to access to learning opportunities have always been ..:

  • Inadequate infrastructure
  • Limited access to technology
  • Lack of funding

But when a city decides to get involved, the global network of learning cities facilitates partnerships, dissemination and sharing of best practices and ideas, resulting in :

  • consolidated municipal budgets
  • external financing
  • public-private partnerships
  • better use of public spaces and cultural facilities
  • greater volunteerism and civic engagement
  • multi-sector collaboration

Lifelong learning in action

UNESCO’s Learning Cities ensure that learning responds to both individual needs and global developments. Almost all UNESCO Learning Cities offer activities and resources linked to five priority learning areas.

Most cities face major challenges related to :

  • climate change -> education for sustainable development
  • health and well-being -> health education
  • jobs -> skills enhancement and retraining/retraining
  • digital transformation -> digital skills
  • intolerance -> Global citizenship and peace education

What city can afford to neglect any of these aspects?

From early childhood to professional development to workshops for the elderly, Learning Cities have the policies and structures in place to make this a reality.

Is your city one of them? List of learning cities

References

How to join the Learning Cities network
https://www.uil.unesco.org/fr/learning-cities/members/become-member?hub=38

Learning Cities Network – https://www.uil.unesco.org/fr/learning-cities?hub=38

UNESCO World Network of Learning Cities – Monitoring local impact 2022-2024 – pdf
https://www.uil.unesco.org/sites/default/files/medias/fichiers/2025/08/FRENCH%20GNLC%20Monitoring%20Leaflet.pdf?hub=38

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