GOAL
A general framework of the theme was used to examine its local declinations in Bergamo, with the aim of identifying strengths and critical issues among the various actors and the relationships that either facilitate or hinder an integrated approach and joint action—fundamental success factors in a field where formal, non-formal, and informal elements intertwine.

RESEARCH AREA DESCRIPTION
The city is becoming increasingly central in contemporary life. Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, and in Europe this percentage rises above 80%. In the coming years, another 2.5 billion people will be added to the urban population. How can this massive population shift and growth be managed?
How can we prevent it from worsening the great challenges of the coming decades (climate, energy, food, water) and instead make it help solve them?
This research area focuses precisely on the role played by knowledge in contemporary society, especially in the city, where an ever-growing portion of the world’s population lives, and where most of the future challenges will be faced.

RESULTS AND PROPOSALS
A detailed analysis of the Bergamo context and meetings with stakeholders highlighted several elements useful for outlining policies and strategies to improve the territory’s ability to be more “resilient” and creative, leveraging both traditional resources (such as cultural and environmental heritage or formal educational agencies) and underutilized resources—such as immigrants, experiential knowledge held often unconsciously by many actors (including the network of small and medium economic operators), and “objectified” knowledge.
Not all actors consulted responded or showed interest, which is itself a sign worth reflecting on, questioning whether some sectors of Bergamo’s society exhibit a degree of self-referentiality or at least insufficient awareness of the importance of system-building.
Making Bergamo an “educational city,” strengthening the university’s role as a resource for research and high-level transversal education on various themes and fields, “networking” (both via ICT and improved physical connections) the resources and knowledge of different educational agencies and social actors, fostering widespread creativity, and identifying a recognizable and shared thread connecting the various learning and knowledge opportunities oriented toward the future and its challenges seemed to be some of the pillars to inspire the actions of the various public and private actors.
In terms of concrete proposals, three main intervention areas emerge:
• The first mission is to better network existing initiatives (using technological platforms for knowledge preservation and sharing, but not only). From this point of view, many participants in the Bergamo 2.(035) working group consider Bergamo fragile in its capacity to build systems and to be an “educational city.” Figure 3 shows the conceptual map created by the Bergamo 2.(035) research group.
• it is also considered important to enrich learning by incorporating all elements of objectified knowledge and material culture (museums, parks, businesses, landscapes, etc.), often underused by significant segments of the population.
• Finally, and crucially, it is necessary to involve decision-makers: only full assumption of responsibility by those who govern the city can transform the spirit of initiative and the resources described here into a true path for transforming Bergamo into a genuine city of knowledge

RESEARCH TEAM
Michele Meoli (Associate Professor UNIBG), Mario Salomone (Associate Professor UNIBG), Federico De Musso (Research Fellow UNIBG)