Hullo colleagues,

I am contacting you to advise you of some major events that will occur in 2013 relevant to the aspirations of the PASCAL International Exchanges. In their totality, this could be a big year for progressing ideas about good cities that are inclusive, build community and identity, and enhance the quality of life of residents. My hope is that PIE can make a significant contribution.  

Cork Learning Festival, 18-24 March 2013: Tina Neylon has advised me that the Cork Learning Festival is inviting all PIE cities to participate in the Festival this year. Tina’s stimulus paper on the PIE web site provides information on the Festival. My wife Denise and I will be attending and I expect that Professor Osborne will come down from Glasgow University for the Festival. This will enable us to discuss PIE experience during the Festival. Cork is very interested in the ideas in the PIE EcCoWell paper (Living and Learning in Sustainable Opportunity Cities) which can be accessed on the PIE web site, and has set up a cross-sectoral group to explore implementation of these ideas. Those who come to Cork will be able to participate in discussion of achieving more integrated and holistic development in our cities. If you are interested in attending the Cork Learning Festival (or having your city represented by others), could you let Tina and myself know please.  

Special Learning Cities issue of International Journal of Lifelong Education: A special Learning Cities issue of the journal will appear in July 2013 with articles which have been commissioned on Learning City development around the world. I( am serving as co-guest editor of the special issue with Professor Osborne and Jin Yang from UNESCO.  

PASCAL Hong Kong Conference October 2013: Planning has commenced for a PASCAL Conference to be held in Hong Kong in October 2013 in partnership with the Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong UNESCO UNEVOC Centre, Asia Pacific Association of Basic and Adult Education, and the Asia Pacific University-Community Engagement Network. The theme for the conference will be: Local communities in big cities - a key to sustainable and healthy learning communities. This event is being arranged to link with the UNESCO/City of Beijing/PASCAL event in Beijing to launch the GLCN.

While the title names “big cities” I believe the issues and strategies are relevant to cities of any size and raise the important issue of energizing neighbourhoods which is relevant to all your cities. Neighbourhoods may be seen as the context where the EcCoWell ideas can play out. A context where much innovation is needed.  

We hope to stimulate discussion of these issues and solutions in the months leading up to the conference. To this end, Professor Chris Duke and I are writing an article for the International Journal of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning to appear in the May 2013 issue of the Journal. The article is at present titled “Civil Society, the Active Citizen, and the Healthy Learning City : neighbourhood, locality and megalopolis”. This title may change, but I think you will get the general idea.  

I hope the communities participating in PIE will use these opportunities to refresh your thinking on these critically important issues in building good cities relevant to these turbulent and challenging times. I welcome any ideas ideas you may have about ways in which you can contribute. For example, local seminars or workshops might be held with the insights gained passed on through the PIE network for the benefit of all.  

To start this process, I am inviting you to send me any information to hand on initiatives taken, or discussed, to revitalise  neighbourhoods in your city and extend learning opportunities. This may either be city-wide policies or projects taken in particular neighbourhoods.  

Various examples exist in your PIE stimulus papers or in subsequent developments. Some examples are:

• Kaunas cites the endeavour to regenerate the historic city centre of Kaunas.  
• Bielefeld undertook a city-wide Learning Report in 2012 which identified disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the city. Has there been any follow up action to address the identified needs of these neighbourhoods.  
• Bari reported on a major city–wide partnership to address crime in the city. Has there been follow up in particular neighbourhoods where the outcomes are known.  
• Beijing indicated that steps were being taken to extend its Learning City initiative down to the Administrative Districts of the city. A few examples of action taken would be very interesting. A record exists of action taken some years previously in the Xicheng District of Beijing at the time of the EU funded PALLACE project to build the First Learning District in the city of Beijing. Does this initiative still exist? What have been the outcomes?

These are a few examples and no doubt more could be added. I am particularly interested in whether examples can be given from an y African cities of initiatives taken in particular neighbourhoods.  

I look forward to receiving any information you can send. I do hope we can all be partners in using the opportunities provided by the events I have mentioned to advance our thinking on ways of improving the quality of life and opportunities in our cities. In view of the timeline for the  IJCELL article, I would be grateful if any information you send me can reach me by 16 November.  

I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.  

With best wishes

Peter  

Peter Kearns
Co-director
PASCAL International Exchanges
Kenmore QLD 4069
Australia