Vol. 14 No. 4 (2023):
Research Article

The Role of the Territory in an Educating City: Two Italian Laboratory Examples of Participatory Urban Planning

Stefania Montebelli
Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi
Conceptual diagram of the thematic path
Categories

Published 2023-11-08

Keywords

  • educating city,
  • community of practice,
  • learning organisation,
  • continuous learning,
  • humanistic geography approach

How to Cite

Montebelli, Stefania. 2023. “The Role of the Territory in an Educating City: Two Italian Laboratory Examples of Participatory Urban Planning”. European Journal of Geography 14 (4):37-45. https://doi.org/10.48088/ejg.s.mon.14.4.037.045.
Received 2023-07-07
Accepted 2023-11-06
Published 2023-11-08

Abstract

The aim of this article is to stimulate further reflection on the concept of the Educating City by presenting two Italian participatory planning initiatives. The analysis focuses on the benefits of knowledge of the surrounding territory for the development of an informed and engaged citizenry; the key role of the city for education and participatory space in a learning society; and finally, the strategies that have been implemented to educate the community about its territory and encourage active participation in its development. The focus of the reflection is thus the city as an 'open' educational environment, made up of spatial elements that are closely connected through social relations. In this environment, actors influence each other and engage in constructive communication and cooperation to co-create shared living spaces. In this sense, a comprehensive knowledge of the territory can contribute to the development of a cooperative citizenship whose actions influence both the communal living spaces and the social fabric that populates them. Through continuous learning about the territory, the urban community can acquire skills of conscious self-determination and participate effectively in the shaping of urban space. This is a fruitful process that cannot avoid taking into account the 'situated context' and the education that enables the integration needs of the urban community to be incorporated and expressed in the decision-making processes about the future development of its own territory.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

  1. Anthony, B. (2023). The role of community engagement in urban innovation towards the co-creation of smart sustainable cities. Journal of the Knowledge Economy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-023-01176-1
  2. Augé, M. (1992). Non-lieux: Introduction à une anthropologie de la surmodernité. Le Seuil. L’Homme, 129, 193-194
  3. Bateson, G. (1972). Steps to an ecology of mind. Chandler Publishing Company.
  4. Bruner, J. (1996). The culture of education. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674251083
  5. Bruner, J. (1984). In search of mind: Essays in autobiography. HarperCollins. Harpercollin.
  6. Chesbrough, H. (2017). The future of open innovation. Research-Technology Management, 60(1), 35–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2017.1255054
  7. Commission of the European Communities. (2000). A memorandum on lifelong learning.
  8. Delors, J. (1996). Learning: The treasure within; report to UNESCO of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-First Century. UNESCO. https://doi.org/10.7788/ijbe.1996.24.1.253
  9. Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. Columbia University.
  10. Dewey, J. (1922). Human nature and contact: An introduction to social psychology. Henry Holt and Company. https://doi.org/10.1037/14663-000
  11. Dewey, J. (1938). Experience & education. Macmillian.
  12. Duncan, J. S., & Ley, D. (1993). Place/culture/representation. Routledge.
  13. Eriksen, T. H. (2016). Overheating: An anthropology of accelerated change. Pluto Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1cc2mxj
  14. European Commission. (2019). The citizen’s city. https://urban.jrc.ec.europa.eu/thefutureofcities/the-citizens-city#the-chapter
  15. European Parliament. (2001). Report on the commission memorandum on lifelong learning. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-5-2001-0322_EN.html
  16. Faure, E., Herrera, F., Kaddoura, A. R., Lopes, H., Petrovsky, A. V., Rahnema, M., & Ward, F. C. (1972). Learning to be: The world of education today and tomorrow: The report to UNESCO of the International Commission on the Development of Education. UNESCO/Harrap.
  17. Fondazione Innovazione Urbana. (2019). La prossimità dei Laboratori di Quartiere: Verso il Piano Innovazione Urbana (Vol. 2). Comune di Bologna.
  18. Forster, S. R., & Iaione, C. (2022). Co-cities: Innovative transitions toward just and self-sustaining communities. The MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11702.001.0001
  19. Fraile-Jurado, P., & Periáñez-Cuevas, N. (2023). Enhancing motivation strategies in a mandatory university geography course. European Journal of Geography, 14(2), 64–75. https://doi.org/10.48088/ejg.p.fra.14.2.064.075
  20. Frémont, A. (1972). La région: Essai sur l’espace vécu. Mélanges offerts à A. Meynier. P.U.B, 663–678.
  21. Geetrz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures. Basic Book Inc. Publishers.
  22. Harvey, D. (2012). Rebel cities: From the right to the city to the urban revolution. Verso Press.
  23. Harvey, D. (2014). Seventeen contradictions and the end of capitalism. Oxford University Press.
  24. Heine, S. J. (2010). Cultural psychology. In S. T. Fiske, D. T. Gilbert, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (pp. 1423–1464). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470561119.socpsy002037
  25. Huttunen, S., Ojanen, M., Ott, A., & Saarikoski, H. (2022). What about citizens? A literature review of citizen engagement in sustainability transi-tions research. Energy Research & Social Science, 91, 102714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2022.102714
  26. IAEC. (2020). Charter of education cities. International Association of Educating Cities. https://www.edcities.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ENG_Carta.pdf
  27. IAEC. (2021). From reading the charter to constructing an educating city: Methodological guide. International Association of Educating Cities. https://www.edcities.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/03/ENG_Consolidacio.pdf
  28. Illich, I. (1972). Deschooling society. Harrow.
  29. Jenss, A. (2020). Global flows and everyday violence in urban space: The port-city of Buenaventura, Colombia. Political Geography, 77, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2019.102113
  30. Latur, B. (2005). Reassembling the social: An introduction to actor-network-theory. Oxford University Press.
  31. Longworth, N. (2006). Learning cities, learning regions, learning communities: Lifelong learning and local government. Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203967454
  32. Longworth, N., & Osborne, M. (2010). Perspectives on learning cities and regions: Policies, practice and participation. NIACE.
  33. Lotman, J. M. (1990). Universe of the mind. A semiotic theory of culture. I. B. Tauris.
  34. Lowenthal, D. (1961). Geography, experience and imagination: Toward a geographical epistemology. Annals of the Association of American Geog-raphers, 51, 241–260. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8306.1961.tb00377.x
  35. Lussault, M. (2017). Hyper-Lieux: Les nouvelles geographies de la mondialisation. Seuil. https://doi.org/10.4000/lectures.23293.
  36. Maciocco G., Lutzoni, L., & Valentino, M. (2018). Strutture generative e nuclei di urbanità. FrancoAngeli.
  37. MacKeen, D. (2022). Planting a seed: Sustainable education for students with additional support needs. European Journal of Geography, 13(4), 98–119. https://doi.org/10.48088/ejg.d.mac.13.4.98.119
  38. McLuhan, M., Hutchon, K., & McLuhan, E. (1977). City as classroom: Understanding language and media. Book Society of Canada.
  39. Mendez de Andés, A., Hamou, D., & Aparicio, M. (2021). Còdigos communes urbanos. Herramientas para el devenir-comùn de las ciudades. Icaria Editorial.
  40. Montebelli, S. (2021). Il territorio come spazio della creatività sociale. Un esempio di laboratorio per una “città accogliente”. Education Sciences & Society, 1, 40–55. https://doi.org/10.3280/ess1-2021oa10030
  41. Morgan, S. (2022, December 22). Le città rivierasche pagheranno per prime il prezzo dell’urbanizzazione incontrollata, Limes: Rivista Italiana di Geopolitica. https://www.limesonline.com/citta-costa-urbanizzazione-rischio-ambientale/130449
  42. Moulaert, F., Martinelli, F., Gonzalez, S., & Swyngedouw, E. (2007). Introduction: Social innovation and governance in European cities: Urban development between path dependency and radical innovation. European Urban and Regional Studies, 14(3), 195–209. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969776407077737
  43. Mumford, L. (1970). The culture of cities. Mariner Books.
  44. OECD. (2007). Qualifications systems: Bridges to lifelong learning. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264013681-en
  45. OECD. (2013). Innovative learning environment. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264203488-en
  46. Osborne, M., Kears, P., & Yang, J. (2013). Learning cities: Developing inclusive, prosperous and sustainable urban communities. International Review of Education, 59, 409–423. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-013-9384-y
  47. Raffestin, C. (2007). Il paesaggio come strumento progettuale per il territorio. Osservatorio del Paesaggio. http://www.osservatoriodelpaesaggio.org/AZIONI%20svolte/2007/Premiazione%20Bando%20Paesaggio%20(Passerano%20Marmorito%2027%2010%2007)/Prolusione%20Prof.%20Claude%20Raffestin%202.htm
  48. Rudofsky, B. (1968). Street for people. Doubleday.
  49. Sendra, P., & Sennett, R. (2020). Designing disorder: Experiments and disruptions in the city. Verso Books.
  50. Sennett, R. (2018). Building and dwelling: Ethics for the city. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
  51. The Council of the European Union. (2018, June 4). Council recommendation of 22 May 2018 on key competences for lifelong learning. Official Journal of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32018H0604(01)
  52. Tuan, Y. F. (1974). Topophilia. A study of environmental perception, attitudes, and values. Columbia University Press.
  53. Turri, E. (1974). Antropologia del Paesaggio. Edizioni di Comunità.
  54. UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. (n.d.). Learning cities: Drivers of inclusion and sustainability. UNESCO. https://uil.unesco.org/lifelong-learning/learning-cities/learning-cities-drivers-inclusion-and-sustainability
  55. UNESCO. (2015). Global network of learning city: Guiding documents. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000234986
  56. UNESCO. (2021). Strategy of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (2021–2023). https://www.uil.unesco.org/sites/default/files/medias/fichiers/2022/02/gnlcstrategy2021_2023_en.pdf
  57. United Nations. (2019). World urbanization prospects 2018: Highlights. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3828520
  58. Valentino M., & Lutzoni L. (2020). Among territorial project and architectural design. City, Territory and Architecture, 7, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40410-020-00115-w
  59. Ward, C. (2018). L’educazione incidentale. Elèuthera.
  60. Wenger, E. (1999). Communities of practice. learning, meaning and identity. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511803932