Comment

The preamble of the Charter of Educating Cities states that: “as people, we are interdependent. Without care we cannot survive. Throughout life, but especially at certain moments of the life cycle such as early childhood, old age, periods of severe illness, and for people with functional diversity, we need to receive care on which our survival and physical and mental wellness depends. The educating city must recognise, foster and encourage care and make society jointly responsible for it.”

And it continues with principle 11 alluding to the need that “the layout of public spaces will meet the needs of accessibility, care, health, socialising, security, play, recreation and the balance between personal, family and work life. The educating city will place a special focus on the needs of children, people with functional diversity and senior citizens in its urban planning, amenities and services, in order to ensure a friendly and respectful environment in which they can develop with the highest possible degree of autonomy.”

In turn, principle 14 of the Charter declares that the Educating City “will promote the construction of the city as a space that cares for all people and it will foster active ageing and social relationships that help combat loneliness and isolation.”

With this framework, the fourth edition of the Educating Cities Award focuses on best practices that promote care in the city, in a broad sense. 65 experiences (from 53 cities, from 7 counties and 3 continents) were reviewed. After a complex process of analysis, the jury selected 3 winners and 7 finalists. This was not an easy decision given the quality and impact of the candidatures.

The following projects have been awarded with the Educating Cities’ Award 2022:

• “Climate shelters in schools”, Barcelona (Spain). In the framework of the Climate Plan, the strategy of the city of Barcelona to face climate change, thermal comfort conditions in buildings and public spaces in the city are improved, including the creation of a network of climate shelters, to guarantee the health and care of the most vulnerable groups.
• “Rivers with Life”, Loures (Portugal). The project aims to strengthen the municipal offer in the field of environmental education and awareness, focusing on the theme of protection of earth life and its valorisation in water resources. It includes raising awareness events, the creation of a manifesto for the school community and with the production of digital content for communication.
• “Embroidering Resistances: Bordadeiras de Alto Alegre”, Horizonte (Brazil).  The project was born in the quilombola community of Alto Alegre in Horizonte through the mobilization of black women born in the community, black women from other locations and municipalities, local social actors, local government and other organisations, with the objective of promoting a space of collective dialogue with black and quilombola women, focusing on the recognition of ancestral culture and identity to strengthen gender autonomy, defence of rights and income production.

Both awarded and finalist projects highlight the importance of launching local initiatives that meet care needs, promote healthy lifestyles that respect biodiversity and strengthen community ties, highlighting the importance of favoring a life cycle and gender perspetive, as well as promoting educational aspects regarding co-responsibility and interdependence.