Mexico City - a mega city’s response to challenges

Unlocking the Potential of Urban Communities: Case Studies of Twelve Learning Cities showcases cities in different parts of the world that are embracing lifelong learning for all. The book explores how the learning city approach can be used to unlock citizens’ potential, focusing on the experiences of twelve cities from all five UNESCO regions: Melton (Australia), Sorocaba (Brazil), Beijing (China), Bahir Dar (Ethiopia), Espoo (Finland), Cork (Ireland), Amman (Jordan), Mexico City (Mexico), Ybycuí (Paraguay), Balanga (Philippines), Namyangju (Republic of Korea) and Swansea (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). These cities will be celebrated at the book’s launch at the 2nd International Conference on Learning Cities (ICLC), which will take place in Mexico City from 28 to 30 September 2015. Join us there and help shape the future of learning cities!

Mexico City - a mega city’s response to challenges

“A learning city mobilizes resources to develop, promote and improve the learning of new competencies among its citizens. In Mexico City we seek to build a more resilient society where everyone has access to the learning tools that enable better social, economic and environmental skills to address the challenges this twenty-first century brings.” - Miguel Ángel Mancera Espinosa, Mayor of Mexico City

The Government of Mexico City wishes to play a more active role in shaping the learning opportunities available to its citizens. While formal education continues to be regulated by Mexico’s National Government, the process of building a learning city has enabled the local government to create non-formal and informal initiatives that respond to the complex challenges facing this megacity. Partnerships with NGOs and corporations have helped the city find innovative learning-based solutions to issues ranging from obesity, illiteracy and social inequality to natural disasters.

Read about the other cases here.