Sustainable Development of the Learning City

Kaunas is the second largest city in Lithuania and has strong links with its large rural hinterland. Working from the ideas and examples in ‘Learning Cities for a Learning Century, (Longworth, 1999) and through contact with other cities that have already implemented lifelong learning concepts, the city has, since 2001, started out on the journey to become a ‘sustainable learning city.’ The process is a long, and not always a smooth, one, but the partnership between university, city administration, the learning providers and the citizens has provided insights whereby economic, social and environmental capital can grow when these stakeholders work together to improve the learning of both organisations and people. This article is the story of that journey so far, the rationale for making it, the actions the city has undertaken, the results of the research that has been carried out and the benefits that have so far accrued. The voyage is by no means over—indeed it is constantly continuing, much in the same way that a learning organisation can never stop learning lest it ceases to be one and loses its dynamic. But we believe that it is the right one for Kaunas and sets an example for others.