To raise awareness among local authorities and civil society about the potential of inclusive and sustainable urban spaces as platforms for adult learning. Through the presentation of success stories and practical frameworks, SECUI sought to inspire municipalities and community actors to transform underused public spaces into environments that foster lifelong learning, civic participation, and social cohesion, particularly for groups at risk of exclusion. To establish a transnational learning network composed of educators, public institutions, cultural associations, and urban professionals committed to rethinking the role of public space in adult education. This network promoted knowledge exchange, mutual inspiration, and the emergence of new collaborations beyond the project’s duration, thereby strengthening the European dimension of community learning. To enhance the competences of adult education staff by providing tools, methodologies, and real-life experiences focused on active pedagogies, ecological transformation, and inclusive urban design, all of which are key to addressing the challenges of the 21st century.
We applied for the SECUI project (Social and Ecological Change through Urban Interventions) to address the urgent need for inclusive and sustainable public spaces that promote adult education and community participation. Across Europe, many urban areas contain underused or abandoned land that could be transformed into key spaces for learning and social interaction, particularly for the most disadvantaged groups. The project also responded to the lack of transnational exchange on participatory urban transformation as a tool for equity, inclusion, and lifelong learning. It was essential to support municipalities, educational staff, and community stakeholders in rethinking the urban landscape from both a pedagogical and environmental perspective.