The term "Learning City" is used for convenience throughout this guide. In practice a "Learning City" may be a city, town or community - regardless of its location or size. A Learning City addresses the learning needs of its locality through partnership. It uses the strengths of social and institutional relationships to bring about cultural shifts in perceptions of the value of learning. Learning Cities explicitly use learning as a way of promoting social cohesion, regeneration and economic development which involves all parts of the community.

Typically, a Learning City works to achieve proactive partnership which engages a range of interests:

• Individuals, community organisations and trades unions - so that individuals, and those who represent them, are involved in the development of skills and capacities throughout their lives. This level of public participation will promote social cohesion, inclusiveness, equity and opportunity, enabling all individuals to fulfil their potential

• Providers of education and training at every level - so that valuable local resources are promoted and used more effectively to create the demand for learning and satisfy that demand throughout the community. Responsive and imaginative learning provision continues to meet this spread of demand during periods of change

• Employers in every size and sector of organisation - so that the providers of jobs continue to be able to meet their objectives through the skills of their people. These objectives may relate to wealth creation and/or the provision of high quality services. Greater involvement in learning enables employers to influence their organisations' and communities' culture and to sustain and grow through necessary knowledge and skills which keep pace with change

• Key agencies (e.g. local authorities, TECs, LECs, Chambers of Commerce, Business Links, development agencies, regional partners) - so that local regeneration, economic development and workforce skills strategies take account of learning, are co-ordinated and representative of the components of the community and their aspirations for its future. In turn, local regeneration and development strategies may contribute to wider regional strategies with similar objectives.