Educational Cities and Creative Cities, the New Formulae of the Social Pedagogy in the 21st Century

Abstract

The Charter of educating cities systematizes links between city and education.  The city is the framework to establish relationships, construct identities and acquire knowledge in the educational process. The concept of educating cities, emerged in the late 20th century, and its instruments, educational projects of city (PEC), are calling for the participation of all the citizens in public affairs and local Government to create conditions that facilitate the contribution of the social and educational agents. This article refers to the experience carried out in the industrial city of Vigo (Spain) by the Department of education (during the term of office 2007-2011, under the responsibility of the Councillor, teacher and psychologist Laura López Atrio, and his subsequent research on the subject), whose model can serve point of reference for the development of other similar experiences. Its results constitute an element applicable to other urban, especially in those environments where, in addition to the indigenous population of origin there are large groups of immigrants, especially from Latin America, North Africa and Central Europe. The Charter of cities, passed the year 1990, revised in November 2004, in Genoa in the framework of the VIII Congress of cities, educating expresses and reflects the philosophy that this social and educational movement and defines the scientific parameters, within which develop linkages between the city and education. The city's resources must be exploited for the education of citizens, educated, free and participatory.