Notes from the second meeting of the PASCAL Learning Cities Networks “Reimagining Inclusive Economic Futures” (RIEF) on 26 Nov 2020

The first presentation was by Palmira Jucevicienne and Robertus Jucevicienne and focused on the highly successful rejuvenation of the Old Town part of Kaunas in Lithuania. It was pointed out that a Learning City does not function for itself, it is established for problem-solving and the biggest problem at the present time is that of sustainable development.

The rejuvenation programme for Old Town aimed that the “Old Town is alive every day”. Previously there had been many different plans and programmes for revitalising the old town but without any success. The new focus was on making the old town an emotionally attractive place to be. So it had to be safe, interesting, varied, aesthetical, democratic, active, civilised and the object of people.

The focus was on cultural self-development, with the community at the heart. The municipality was invited to participate- they did not lead the initiative in a top-down fashion. It was important that the project developed a new attitude towards business and the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem. So by employing “uncommon sense” they set about discovering the approaches, methods and resources for the development.

It was important that new enterprises were a good fit to the old town – so they did not try to attract big department stores but focused on art, education and culture-based enterprises to create a good atmosphere. The project was grounded in research and best practice, with people and community at the heart of the endeavour.

The principle of shared value creation has been central as well. (See Michael Porter about shared value creation on youtube). This involved a change in thinking for business people, based on values and problem-solving.

The Kaunas presentation by Palmira and Robertus is available below.

The second presentation was by Dr Orna Magor of Modi’in in Israel.  She explained that more than 65% of citizens in the city are university graduates. 12% of residents are new immigrants from worldwide locations, so it is a truly multi-cultural city.  

Orna explored the concept of a new future of work for wellbeing. Her vision was that the learning city needed to develop adaptability, with transferrable skills to adapt to new workplace practices as well as new workplaces. It was also important to connect the national level of developments with the local municipalities, and the municipalities with the people.

The city is hosting internships through the OU for Organisational Psychology students from IDC. 

Recently, due to the pandemic, there had been an increase in the number of unemployed and so the learning city had responded by developing new programmes around employability, with a focus on those aged 45-75 who were struggling to find new employment.

The re-employment of those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic was agreed by the group to be a common challenge.

The Modi’in presentation by Orna Magor is available below.

The next presentation was by Peter Dewhurst, Derby University. Derby is a city in the centre of the UK, with a strong industrial history. Peter explained that Derby earned more money through science and engineering than any other city in the UK. 25% of the population are from MEWN backgrounds.

Well paid blue-collar jobs are located on the periphery of the city. Reflecting this employment, vocational education is the main strength of the university and colleges of further education. Derby has an over-dependence on a few large employers, which creates a risk when these employers consider leaving the region or even the UK.

The location of the employment has had a hollowing out effect on the city centre, which has become poor quality. The West and South of the city have become impoverished and there are marked disparities in life expectancy. Educational attainment is recognised as poor for the city as a whole.

However, there is ambition, including to become the UK’s first hydrogen-powered city…

Derby University has a Vice-Chancellor who is actively leading economic renewal for the region, which includes the Peak District and Derbyshire.

The Derby presentation by Peter Dewhurst is available below.

There was a brief discussion about cities and their regions, and the importance of inclusive planning to ensure that no one was left behind.

The final presentation was by Diane Tabbagh, Wyndham Learning City, Australia. Wyndham is a rapidly growing city, with 13 babies born every day! (What a lovely statistic!) It has a wide range of sources of income, including agriculture in the region.

All the foundations for diversification are present, so Wyndham is in a strong position to recover from the pandemic. 44.3% of the population have graduate-level qualifications and the research base means Wyndham is well placed to be a major player in the developing knowledge economy.

The vision for change is to further develop the entrepreneurship ecosystem. This is supported by the Learning City’s Forum for Entrepreneurial Learning and enterprise development, “Wynovation.”

They also are planning for growth with a “Future Leaders for the West Programme” and a “Business Growth Programme” and a “Small Business Advisory Service”.  The “Bright Futures” programme provides work experience and immersion within a small enterprise, bringing 15-25 ideas to reality.

Wyndham has developed a Learning Communities Strategy – with the focus on celebrating, advocating, facilitating partnerships and collaboration, innovating learning and “Wyntalks”- inspirational talks about pathways to success.  He Economic Development section of the local authority works closely with Higher Education, although Wyndham recognised that there could be benefits from improving the connections with H.E.

The Wyndham Learning City presentation by Diane Tabbagh is available below.

Notes from meeting on 26th November 2020 PASCAL Learning Cities Network, “Reimagining Inclusive Economic Futures.”

Attendees:

Mike Osborne, Judith James, Chris Shepherd, Palmira Jucevicienne, Robertus Jucevicienne, Annie Tubadji, Jean Preece, Orna Magor and Zimra, Massimo Bardus, Peter Dewhurst, Diane Tabbagh, Jac Torres-Gomez.