This article provides a brief overview of historic work in the field of Learning City development. It then proceeds to highlight two contemporary strands of work. The first is the initiative of UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) in establishing the International Platform of Learning Cities. The second is the work of the PASCAL Observatory, currently manifested in the Learning Cities 2020 programme.

This paper looks at the role that educational bodies can play in promoting social and economic innovation at a local or regional level. A locality or region promoting innovation can be called a ‘learning region’. The paper demonstrates how learning in a ‘learning region’ differs from traditional formal and individualistic learning.