T h e  N e i g h b o u r h o o d 
Agreements were born with 
the goal of fostering citizen 
participation, improving 
d ia logue with the local 
authorities and adapting 
municipal  action to the 
different local realities. 
experience 
Neighbourhood Agreements: an instrument 
of participatory democracy in Geneva
editorial
More than 1100 representatives from local 
administrations, as well as experts and 
members of social organisations from 189 
cities met up in Barcelona on the occasion of 
the 13th International Congress of Educating 
Cities. The Congress was a great opportunity 
to dialogue and learn from each other and 
to make known different local policies and 
initiatives for fostering social inclusion and to 
Zfek`el\X[mXeZ`e^kf^\k_\i`ek_\]lcÔcd\ek
of the principles of the Charter of Educating 
Cities.  
With the theme, “An Educating City is an 
inclusive city”, the Congress represented an 
fggfikle`kp kf i\Õ\Zk fe k_\ `dgfikXek ifc\
that the local governments play in tackling 
social inequalities present in the cities, dealing 
with the causes that generate them. 
The main lines of work were: Inclusion as 
a right, the Educating City as a promoter 
of welfare and life opportunities; Citizen 
participation and commitment, the Educating 
City as a space of coexistence, dialogue and 
relationships; the Educating City as a space of 
innovation and creativity.  
2015
20
Situated on the shores of Lake Lemans, 
Geneva is the second most populous city in 
Switzerland, with a population of 192,000 
inhabitants and a surface area of 16km2. Its 
international, cosmopolitan character is not 
always in synchronization with the quality 
of life of the inhabitants of the city centre.
The City Council has been carrying out 
different participatory processes since the 
nineties as part of the remodelling of public 
spaces and facilities, but the Neighbourhood 
Agreements represent a step forward. They 
constitute a formal process in which the 
participants have the chance to get involved 
in the neighbourhood, by proposing the type 
of intervention that they believe are the 
most urgent and should be prioritised. This 
mechanism was born as a pilot project in 
2009 and was inspired by the Neighbourhood 
Agreements in the Brussels-capital region 
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The Neighbourhood Agreements began from 
the detection of a series of needs which 
exceeded one-off problem that can be solved 
by the municipal services. At this time three 
Agreements in districts abutting the train 
stations are underway. These neighbourhoods 
are characterized by a very high population 
and building density, environmental problems 
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of green spaces. 
Based on a preliminary balance sheet of 
(continued on page 2) (continued on page 3) 
The Neighbourhood Agreements represent a 
commitment of the City Council of Geneva, 
local inhabitants, workers and retailers 
to improving the quality of life of their 
neighbourhoods. 
02 Educating Cities
 The Territorial Networks in the 13th Congress
Various territorial networks called their 
meetings in Barcelona within the framework 
of the 13th International Congress of the 
Association, among them were included the 
Brazilian, French, Italian and Portuguese 
networks.  Furthermore, the Spanish Network 
called its General Assembly.  There was also a 
d\\k`e^f]k_\8j`Xe$GXZ`ÔZE\knfib#Xe[X
joint session of the Latin American cities.  For 
its part, the northern European cities analysed 
the feasibility of creating a Network that will 
be coordinated by Helsinki. 
 General Assembly of the French Network
T h e  c i ty  o f  Ro m a i nv i l l e  h o s te d  a n 
Extraordinary General Assembly of the French 
Network on 5th December, during which the 
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about the development of the 13th Congress 
and a debate was carried out about the 
priority actions for the period 2015-2020. 
 
 Educating Cities in the 19th Mercociudades 
Summit
The Delegation for Latin America organised 
a dialogue about Inclusion Policies in the 
Educating Cities within the framework of 
the complementary programme of the 19th 
Mercociudades Summit held in Rosario from 
3rd to 5th December.  
 Manifest of the Spanish Network 
The General Assembly approved a Manifest to 
express its concern about the Rationalisation 
and Sustainability of Local Administration Act 
(LRSAL) approved by the central government. 
More information at www.edcities.org  
needs, the inhabitants and users of the areas 
are offered a Neighbourhood Agreement. 
An initial meeting called “Neighbourhood 
Council” is organized, bringing together 
city representatives and the neighbourhood 
population, in which representatives that 
would form part of the “Coordinating 
Committee” are elected. This Committee is 
in charge of canvassing citizens’ needs and 
collecting proposals for the neighbourhood.
The entire population is invited to join 
different working groups whose mission is to 
propose solutions to improve different aspects 
of city life. The groups are structured around 
the following subjects: urban refurbishment 
and the environment (appreciation, safety, 
cleanliness of public spaces), socio-cultural 
and sport facilities (opening of new spaces 
for the neighbourhood, adapted play areas, 
etc.) and community development projects 
(solidarity initiatives and mutual aid, 
neighbourhood events, etc.).
The Coordinating Committee prepares a 
roadmap, including the proposals that have 
received the greatest interest and submits it to 
the Executive Committee of the City Council. 
The actions that are approved must be carried 
out within a maximum period of four years 
while keeping the inhabitants abreast of the 
progress through new meetings.
As a result of the Agreement in the St-Gervais, 
Seujet, Voltaire neighbourhood, of special 
note is the transformation of the Promenade 
de St. Jean Park, bordering a primary school, 
which had a very bad reputation as it was a 
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of the space, the opening of a bar, the 
organization of different cultural events, etc., 
were some of the actions which made the 
park into a get-together and recreational 
space that is popular amongst all generations. 
Moreover, the neighbourhood squares have 
been improved and collective interventions 
have been made in order to reduce anti-
social behaviour around the train station. The 
canton authorities have also become aware of 
the neighbourhood’s poor air quality, action in 
which the schools have participated. 
On the other hand, the district of Grottes 
—of special note for having an active network 
f] XjjfZ`Xk`fejÇ Y\e\Ôkj# k_Xebj kf k_\
Agreement, from new premises where 
different cultural activities are carried out. 
Moreover, a new weekly market has been 
organised, the setup of Zone 30 in the district 
has been accelerated, the safety of school 
paths has been bolstered, and the public 
spaces have been embellished and landscaped 
with the participation of the population, etc.  
The positive results and the high degree 
of satisfaction of the participants have led 
the City Council of Geneva to continue the 
experience by encouraging new Agreements, 
which have proved to be innovation labs of 
a more proactive administration to face the 
needs of the population and for the city’s 
progress.   
  
More information at: www.edcities.org 
presented by: City Council of Geneva,
Department of Social Cohesion and Solidarity
experience
cities networks
contact: Ms. Francesca Cauvin, Project coordinator
e-mail: francesca.cauvin@ville-ge.ch
Neighbourhood Agreements: an instrument of 
participatory democracy in Geneva
© INT Congress & Events
© INT Congress & Events
03 Educating Cities
Why did Barcelona make a commitment 
towards being an Educating City and 
continues to be committed?
Barcelona is a city committed towards education, 
an education that goes beyond the school doors 
and which spreads throughout the city.
The city educates through is educational 
institutions, but also in an implicit way by 
means of its urban fabric, of the opportunities 
it offers, as well as the diverse social policies 
and practices. In line with this, we understand 
that education for all the inhabitants and 
throughout their lives, is not the responsibility 
of a single department, but of the local 
government as a whole so as to be able to 
respond to an increasingly complex reality. 
Over the years, “Barcelona, Educating City” has 
become label of the city, permeating the overall 
municipal policies.  Likewise, we work to bring 
in entities from the civil society and in this way 
join forces in this shared project; the creation of 
various citizen councils, such as: the Council for 
the City, the Youth Council, that of the Elderly, 
for Vocational Training, Sports, and of Culture, 
are an example of this will.   
Another example of the renewed commitment 
of the city of Barcelona with education 
and with the Association has been the 
organization of the 13 th International 
Congress of Educating Cities, held last 
November. The Congress counted on an 
extensive participation of the civil society and 
gathered together more than 1,100 people to 
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inclusive city”.
  
Could you mention other initiatives of 
Barcelona that have become consolidated 
over time as educating experiences? 
There are many municipal actions that have 
a clear educational component and that have 
become consolidated and improved with the 
passing of time.  Among these it is worth 
mentioning the introduction of the selective 
waste collection, the interconnection of the 
neighbourhoods with public transport, the 
fostering of public spaces, the architectural 
adaptation of the city for the disabled, the 
participative design of the public spaces, the 
libraries plan, the pedagogical programmes 
of the museums, the community centres, the 
health campaigns, the conception of the city’s 
festivities, etc.    
Since 1990, there have been various 
municipal teams in the City Council of 
Barcelona, but the commitment of our 
city to the Charter of Educating Cities is 
unquestionable. 
What role does Barcelona play in the 
IAEC and what does forming part of the 
Association contribute to the city? 
Barcelona has been one of the main promoters 
of the IAEC and since the creation of the 
Association it has maintained an active role, 
taking on the Presidency and the Secretariat. 
The IAEC constitutes a platform of exchange 
f]i\Õ\Zk`fejXe[Y\jkgiXZk`Z\j#n_`Z_Xccfnj
us to learn and collaborate with other cities of 
the world, with whom we share the same goals 
and aims. 
In this way, Barcelona has had as a reference 
model various cities for boosting different 
policies and actions. Cities such as Rennes, 
Turin, Rosario or Medellín, amongst others. 
And at the same time our city has constituted 
a model for many cities.  
Furthermore, in the current context of 
globalisation, belonging to the IAEC allows 
us to raise the voice of the cities before 
organisations claiming the importance of 
education as an undeniable instrument 
of  progress and social  and economic 
transformation. 
What motivated Barcelona to propose the 
theme of social inclusion for the last Congress?
We are living in times of deep and accelerated 
social transformation that implicitly includes 
new opportunities, but also new threats and 
forms of exclusion. That is why one of the 
main goals that Barcelona has set itself, in the 
current context of crisis, is to work towards 
social inclusion. And the Educating City 
interview
The programme of the Congress, organised 
over three days, included talks, dialogues, a 
roundtable of mayors, and various workshops 
and speakers’ corners in which around 150 
experiences were presented and exchanged. 
Participants were also able to visit in situ an 
example of initiatives in favour of inclusion 
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sport, education and culture.   
The Congress coincided with the celebration 
of the 20th Anniversary of the creation of the 
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the path we have travelled and the future 
perspectives. The will to continue advancing 
in the foundational goals, the need to boost 
processes of innovation which respond to the 
new needs of the cities and the determination 
to gain in political impact are some of the new 
goals included in the Strategic Plan 2015-
2018, approved by the General Assembly.
In the closing session, the Final Declaration 
of the Congress was presented by means of 
which the Educating Cities commit themselves 
to continue working on the construction of 
more inclusive and educating cities and to 
call on the state and international bodies 
to recognise this work and also to commit 
themselves to foster social inclusion.  
The meeting ended by passing the baton to 
Rosario, the city which will organise the 14th 
Congress of the IAEC, foreseen for 2016, under 
the title “Territories of Coexistence in Cities“
Website of the 13th Congress: iaec2014.bcn.cat/en
The Secretariat of the IAEC
Mr. Xavier Trias
Mayor of Barcelona and President 
of the IAEC editorial
provides us with an ideal framework, because 
education constitutes an essential instrument 
for the individual and collective development, 
and for the improvement of coexistence, 
cohesion and solidarity.      
The Educating Cities are committed towards 
equal opportunities and for an education 
in values such as respect,  tolerance, 
participation, shared responsibility and 
interest in what is public. In this sense, 
the Final Declaration of the 13th Congress 
includes new commitments in matters of 
social inclusion that we invite you to assume 
and spread.
More infomation at: www.edcities.org
The Argentine city of San Francisco has 
a population of 72,000 inhabitants and 
is located in the province of Córdoba in 
a rich agricultural region.  One of the 
problems faced by the city is the high rate 
of school dropout of children taking primary 
or secondary education as well as early 
pregnancies among teenagers. 
Faced with this reality and with the goal of 
ensuring the right to education, in 2008, 
the programme “You matter to me” (Vos me 
importas) was created with the aim of providing 
adolescent mothers and fathers with access 
and permanence to the formal education 
system, and by doing so, offering them new 
work opportunities and the possibility of a 
better future. 
 
This programme, managed by the Health 
Department of San Francisco, emerged at the 
proposal from the Articulation Roundtable by 
means of which the Municipality works with the 
community, in the detection and evaluation of the 
needs and requests and in the coordination of the 
actions to be set in motion to promote the right 
of all of the population to an education of quality. 
To do so, work is done with the secondary 
education schools for the control of 
absenteeism or school dropout and the 
reinsertion of the youths who abandon their 
studies. Neighbourhood centres, NGOs 
and other institutions from the community 
help to spread the diffusion campaign of 
the programme so as to ensure that the 
information reaches the maximum number of 
youths.  Likewise, agreements are signed with 
teacher training institutes and universities, so 
that their students provide educational support 
on a voluntary basis to young people that 
return to education if they require it. 
Another of the key axes for the success of this 
programme is the creation of a free-of-charge 
evening municipal nursery school for taking in 
girls and boys, from toddlers to 10 years old, 
while their parents study.  This centre provides 
a warm and friendly environment where the 
kids can develop their cognitive, physical, 
affective and social skills through very varied 
activities.  Furthermore, they are given an 
afternoon snack and supper, thus ensuring a 
healthy alimentation, and which also counts on 
a team of health professionals.  
The youths commit themselves to attending 
the classes regularly and to get the most out 
of the course.  A social worker is charged 
with carrying out the follow up of the process 
by elaborating different strategies to avoid 
further dropout, as well as offering advice and 
assessment about early parenthood and school 
and work guidance and counselling.  
So as to ensure that the programme runs well, 
continual assessment is carried out during the 
course, both with the parents, as well as with 
the staff of the educational centres, with the 
municipal health team, and with the volunteers 
that provide tutoring support.  
Thanks to this programme, 38 mothers and 
fathers have completed their studies in different 
levels of the formal education system and some 
thirty others are currently studying. For its 
part, the nursery school that started its activity 
with between 18 and 20 children, now has 48. 
The increase in the demand for this type of 
service indicates that there are progressively 
more young people and adults aware of the 
importance of education in today’s society.
experience 
“You matter to me”, San Francisco 
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 The next meeting of the General Assembly 
of the Association will take place in Turin on 
13th March.
 Toluca de Lerdo (Mexico) will be hosting 
the 3rd Meeting of Educating Cities of Mexico, 
Central America and the Caribbean from 23rd 
to 24th April under the theme of “Education in 
the city, a common Project for transforming 
the urban space into an educating space”. 
For  more informat ion you can v is i t : 
www.toluca.gob.mx/sitios/congreso 
 The travelling exhibition of the IAEC 
continues on the move. Between August and 
December 2014 it visited the cities of Santo 
André, São Bernardo do Campo, Santos, 
Itapetininga, in Brazil, and El Vendrell, in 
Spain.
did you know that...
“You matter to me”, is a 
programme that provides a 
new educational opportunity 
for adolescent mothers and 
fathers. 
presented by: Municipality of San Francisco,  
Health Department
D.
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contact: Mr. Gustavo Klein, Deputy Mayor for Health         
e-mail: salud@sanfrancisco.gov.ar
04 Educating Cities
 You can download the fifth monographic 
volume of the IAEC entitled “City, Social 
Inclusion and Education”, recently published, 
at: www.edcities.org/en/publicaciones/
monographs
PflZXeZfejlckk_\ÔijkdXk\i`Xcjgif[lZ\[
as a result of the last International Congress 
at: iaec2014.bcn.cat/en
 The website of the 14th International 
Congress of Educating Cities, to be held in 
Rosario in 2016, has just been inaugurated: 
congresoaice2016.gob.ar 
Territories of Coexistence in Cities