The document discusses the concept of a Learning City and provides examples from conferences and reports. It makes three key points: 1) A Learning City, as defined by the Beijing Declaration, is one that strives to give citizens access to lifelong learning opportunities to empower them. Only cities that continuously learn can be considered smart. 2) Many European cities face challenges like high youth unemployment and skills gaps between education and industry needs. Innovation is needed to change closed thinking and nurture open, creative attitudes. 3) The proposed InnovationGym is a physical-virtual space to foster experiential learning and practice of innovation through activities like a FabLab, immersive lab, and programs for youth, unemployed individuals

1. The Learning City
Mirta Michilli
General Director, Fondazione Mondo Digitale
Presentation for Conference “Smart&Heart Cities,” 28 October 2015, Rome

2. What is a Learning City?

3. Beijing Declaration on Building Learning Cities (2013)
•We recognise that we live in a complex, fast-changing world where social,
economic and political norms are constantly redefined. Economic growth
and employment, urbanization, demographic change, scientific and
technological advances, cultural diversity and the need to maintain human
security and public safety represent just a few of the challenges to the
governance and sustainability of societies.
•We affirm that, in order to empower citizens – understood as all residents
of cities and communities – we must strive to give them access to and
encourage their use of a broad array of learning opportunities throughout
their lives.
(Conference Report from International Conference on Learning Cities. Lifelong Learning for All: Inclusion,
Prosperity and Sustainability in Cities, Beijing, 21–23 October 2013, p.23. Co-organized by UNESCO, the
Ministry of Education of China and Beijing Municipal Government). Report found
at:http://uil.unesco.org/fileadmin/keydocuments/LifelongLearning/en/Beijing_Conference_Report.pdf

4. Beijing Declaration on Building Learning Cities
What is a Learning City?
From: Conference Report from International Conference on Learning Cities.
Lifelong Learning for All: Inclusion, Prosperity and Sustainability in Cities, p.27
Only cities that
continue to learn,
like a complex but
unitary organism,
can really be
smart cities

5. Context of Learning Cities

6. NEETs – 2,287,000 youngsters
(25% of youth between 15 & 29 years old)
48.6% male & 51.4% female
17.6% school dropout (2012)
20.5% males
14.5% females
EU27 12.812.9 S&T university graduates per
1,000 residents aged 20-29 (2014)
EU27 – 16.8
29% of female and 18% of male
young people said the job found
did not match their studies
EDUCATION

7. Source. Martin (2012)
Note. Classification of work: creativity-oriented and routine-oriented: (a) physical routine (e.g. automotive parts assembly); (b) routine
services (e.g. file clerk, accountant, payroll officer); and (c) routine resources (e.g. coal miner)
Evolution of Routine-oriented Work and Creativity-oriented
Work in the USA (1901-2006)
Job Trends

8. Adecco Staffing US Survey on the State of the Economy and Employment (2013)
Lack of Alignment Between Education and Industry’s
Requested Workforce Skills

9. In Short … Complexity
(e.g., Irish Economy)
Inter-connections
Non-linearity Unpredictability
Chance
Uncertainty
Scores of Elements Volatility

10. Need for Nurturing Thinking and Attitudes
for Learning Cities
What?
How?

11. What? --- Need to Change Closed Thinking

12. What? --- Nurture Open Thinking and Attitudes
Curiosity
Experimenting
Research Alertness
Collaborazione
Relationships Happenstance
Motivation Aspirations
Passion
Self-efficacy
Flow State
“In the Zone”
Feeding the Internal Fire
Resilience and
Antifragility
Determination

13. What? --- Education for Life
Today
System
atic
NonSystematic
Standardized
Knowledge
Life Skills
(Key
Competences)
Values for
Responsible
Citizenship
VeryLittle +
Lifelong
Lifedeep
Lifewide

14. How? --- InnovationGym

15. WHAT IS IT?
 A physical-virtual environment for innovation and education for life
 A Gym for the experiential learning and practice of innovation at 360 degrees:
technological, social, and civic innovation
 A space open to the territory, the school world, industry, academia, the civic
society - that has young people as its pulsing core.
 A place where older and new professions meet and people can speak the
languages of traditional and digital fabrication, experimentation, and creativity in
order to exercise 21° century skills and stimulate professional growth and self-
entrepreneurship.
InnovationGym

16. Current InnovationGym Spaces/Functions
Phyrtual
Innovation Gym
Phyrtual
Innovation Gym
Self-awareness &
Orientation
Self-awareness &
Orientation
FabLabFabLab
Video LabVideo Lab
Immersive LabImmersive Lab
Robotics CentreRobotics Centre
Ideation
Problem-solving
& LSP
Ideation
Problem-solving
& LSP
Game LabGame Lab
Leadership &
Team- building
Leadership &
Team- building
InnovationGym Video

17. Inclusive Learning:
“Project Office of new Jobs”
(Funded by Google.org)

18. School Kids
8235 (6 month)
TARGET 15000 (total)
NEETs
2841 (6 months)
TARGET 10000 (total)
Makers720 (6 months)TARGET 1200 (total)
Officina dei Nuovi Lavori
(Office of New Jobs)
Inclusive Learning

19. World of School
World of Work
Mornings
Afternoons
Build Your World
Evenings
All Days
of the
Week
All Day
(09.00 to
23.00)
Working Towards

20. Build Your World
Evenings
Youth Accelerator through
Creative Weeks and Beyond for:
Co-projecting
Co-working
&
Co-innovating at 360o
Technological, Social, Civic Innovation

21. Thanks!
www.innovationgym.org
www.mondodigitale.org