UNESCO Learning City Awardee 2021Clermont-Ferrand, France
In 2021, the city of
Clermont-Ferrand
received the UNESCO Learning City Award for outstanding progress
in providing lifelong learning to its 144,000 citizens.
Lifelong learning - a priority for public policies
'Lifelong learning through collective action' governs all of Clermont-Ferrand's public policies, thanks to the gradual acculturation of institutions, professionals and citizens to the ‘Learning City’ approach.
The city aims to guarantee all of its citizens access to the knowledge needed to empower themselves and participate democratically in the construction of a resilient city.
The city aims to guarantee all of its citizens access to the knowledge needed to empower themselves and participate democratically in the construction of a resilient city.
Collective action for lifelong learning
The learning city as a whole is based on the emergence of ‘citizen communities’ united around a project culture. Its governance is ensured by a local committee composed entirely of citizens who are active networkers and skilled in the creation of ‘learning communities’.
Independent in its thinking, benefiting from a fixed allowance within the municipal budget, its members come from the university, sports, the cultural sector and related backgrounds.
Independent in its thinking, benefiting from a fixed allowance within the municipal budget, its members come from the university, sports, the cultural sector and related backgrounds.
Olivier BianchiMayor of Clermont-Ferrand
A diverse learning ecosystem with stable funding
With its 25,000 companies, 35,000 students, 1,300 researchers, 35 research laboratories, and its business incubators, the city is creating a long-term ‘learning ecosystem’ that promotes success for all through technical and social innovation and the development of the social and solidarity economy sector.
The city devotes more than 43% of its budget to education and youth, and 10% to the cultural sector, fostering activities accessible to all.
The city devotes more than 43% of its budget to education and youth, and 10% to the cultural sector, fostering activities accessible to all.
Laurent RieutortDirector of the Auvergne Institute of Territorial Development
A learning city is a city that imagines its future. Its development is based on two pillars: the first pillar is its anchorage in its territory, the relationships it establishes with all of its surrounding territories. Second, it is a city that works on all forms of learning, on the hybridisation of knowledge, which will help it to develop sustainably.
Access for everyone
Clermont-Ferrand has used lifelong learning as a tool for citizens' full participation in urban development for a long time.
Its major schools conduct ‘learning’ workshops in all of the neighbourhoods, to increase knowledge among the population, collect their existing knowledge and to build new ‘urban knowledge’ to define its public policies.
The ‘One thousand shapes’ art discovery initiative and the ‘Rabanesse – Design a garden for me' project are only two examples. Scroll down to learn more about these!
Its major schools conduct ‘learning’ workshops in all of the neighbourhoods, to increase knowledge among the population, collect their existing knowledge and to build new ‘urban knowledge’ to define its public policies.
The ‘One thousand shapes’ art discovery initiative and the ‘Rabanesse – Design a garden for me' project are only two examples. Scroll down to learn more about these!
One thousand shapes
The ‘One thousand shapes’ initiative was jointly developed by the city of Clermont-Ferrand and the National Museum of Modern Art Centre Pompidou in Paris, France.
Designed with the support of international artists and designers, ‘One thousand shapes’ provides free learning spaces throughout the city. In these learning spaces, families are invited to engage in multidisciplinary and interactive artistic programming, supervised by childcare professionals and artists.
In its first year, 19,000 explorers and their parents benefitted from the programme.
Designed with the support of international artists and designers, ‘One thousand shapes’ provides free learning spaces throughout the city. In these learning spaces, families are invited to engage in multidisciplinary and interactive artistic programming, supervised by childcare professionals and artists.
In its first year, 19,000 explorers and their parents benefitted from the programme.
A collaborative methodology for the entire learning city
By co-constructing the ‘One thousand shapes’ initiative, Clermont-Ferrand has modelled a collaborative methodology for all its future lifelong learning facilities.
Over the past years, many citizens have been designing and co-managing new spaces dedicated to ‘living’, such as: planting fruit trees and vines, maintaining shared gardens, and reconfiguring urban spaces.
Projects are voted on by ‘citizen communities’ and have led to many inhabitants of Clermont-Ferrand engaging in participatory management of their city.
Over the past years, many citizens have been designing and co-managing new spaces dedicated to ‘living’, such as: planting fruit trees and vines, maintaining shared gardens, and reconfiguring urban spaces.
Projects are voted on by ‘citizen communities’ and have led to many inhabitants of Clermont-Ferrand engaging in participatory management of their city.
Greening the city
The 'Rabanesse – Design a garden for me' project is one of those initiatives. The Rabanesse Castle is located in the middle of Clermont Ferrand. Master’s students of the University Clermont Auvergne were tasked to lead the redesign of its garden. They developed designs based on the ideas collected from citizens. This was not easy during the COVID-19 pandemic, but all the more rewarding.
Greening the city is clearly a collective endeavour in Clermont-Ferrand.
Greening the city is clearly a collective endeavour in Clermont-Ferrand.
Merveille Tawab TienebLearner in land management
Collectively for a better future
Clermont Ferrand has flourished impressively over the past years. Through lifelong learning it has enabled citizens to develop and empowered them to collaboratively build a better city for the future.
Further information aboutThe UNESCO Learning City of Clermont-Ferrand
The UNESCO Learning City Awards
The UNESCO Learning City Award was established to further promote lifelong learning for all and showcase good practices in building learning cities. It is conferred on cities that have achieved outstanding progress in this regard. All awardee cities have demonstrated best practices that lay the foundation for sustainable development.
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) supports and improves the practice of lifelong learning in member cities by promoting policy dialogue and peer learning, documenting effective strategies and good practice, fostering partnerships, providing capacity development, and developing tools and instruments to design, implement and monitor learning cities strategies.
UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
© Getty Images / benkrut; Getty Images / LightFieldStudios; Ville de Clermont-Ferrand.
UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
© Getty Images / benkrut; Getty Images / LightFieldStudios; Ville de Clermont-Ferrand.
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Clermont-Ferrand, France
Lifelong learning - a priority for public policies
Collective action for lifelong learning
Olivier Bianchi
A diverse learning ecosystem with stable funding
Laurent Rieutort
Access for everyone
One thousand shapes
A collaborative methodology for the entire learning city
Greening the city
Merveille Tawab Tieneb
Collectively for a better future
The UNESCO Learning City Awards
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities