New Learning Sites in Learning Cities – Public Pedagogy and Civic Education

Abstract

Although the concept of learning cities and the idea of learning being place-based and focused on a region, city, town or community have existed for a long time, it is UNESCO’s work that gave the impetus to the practice, helping to create and spread the network of Learning Cities worldwide. One of the main characteristics of the current concept is the leading role of the local government and partnership with policy makers. The paper challenges this feature with the example of cities that are “rebelling” against the local or national government, but do have learning at the core of their activities. The example of Belgrade is described in detail, where various civic actions (protests, ‘guerrilla’ actions, active participation in public discussions) are analysed from the point of view of public pedagogy. The theory of Gert Biesta and his conception of the public sphere as a space for civic action as well as Elizabeth Ellsworth’s ideas on the active creation of space are the framework in which civic actions are interpreted as important kinds of learning. Lefebvre’s concept of the “right to the city” is also applied. In this way, the whole concept of learning cities might be broadened to include cities without a harmonious relationship with its policy makers, but with strong civic movements and civic actions as a kind of non-formal learning in public spaces.

El pentágono pedagógico de los parques

“…Para Popović et al (2020), los espacios públicos son los nuevos sitios naturales de aprendizaje: simplemente "estar ahí" tiene una relevancia política, colectiva y formativa. Los parques se constituyen por las interacciones de sus visitantes con su territorialidad y por las relaciones sociales que ahí ocurren.…”

“…En la pedagogía pública urbana se considera que las experiencias cotidianas y la relación con el ambiente son parte de un proceso continuo y espontáneo de aprendizaje: la ciudad es escenario de aprendizaje (aprender en la ciudad), agente educador (aprender de la ciudad) y objeto de aprendizaje (aprender la ciudad) (Molina et al, 2022). Este triple papel educador está asociado con la noción de ciudad educadora impulsada desde 1990 por la OCDE (Popović et al, 2020).…”

Haptic Exploration of Urban Belgrade—Uniting Female Gazes through the Project Wa(o)ndering Women

“…It is becoming a city for the highly privileged minority. A city that manifests oppression and negligence for the public interest (POPOVIĆ et al, 2020).…”