A first integrally-informed ExEd program for mayors has been launched by the largest Russian university RANEPA in collaboration with Living Cities community of practice.

This hands-on collaboration between a huge state university (with campuses in over 50 regions of Russia) and a self-organized “teal” expert community is unprecedented by itself.

March 17, 2021 they had the first session with participants from 25 cities across Russia, some cities sent teams.

Marina Demchenko gave a beautiful intro into the integral mindset – already one participant later commented:

“I was stunned by how important and groundbreaking was our session today! This holistic view of seeing ourselves as separate whole selves and yet as parts of an integrated organism is exactly what I need in my project [of city center revitalization]. This is the language I will internalize and speak with all our stakeholders!”

The groundbreaking RANEPA School for Mayors is based on work of many experts, authors and practitioners from the Integral City Meshworks and Living Cities. Mayors and city leaders from 27 cities are exploring AQAL, 4 voices, 4Up’s and many other frameworks well known to the readers of this blog. The first program is underway from March 15 thru July 17 and it will run twice a year thereafter.

The vision of 1000 Living Cities that we collectively formed in 2014 at the first Forum of Living Cities in Izhevsk is gradually and steadily becoming a reality.

In 2021 we plan to participate in several other large scale projects with Living Cities:

  1. Global Happy City Lab – an expert collab researching best practices and approaches of creating conditions for happier life in the cities.
  2. Happy Cities Forum, April 14-15, two dozen speakers will explore best practices and integral approaches that can create conditions for happier life in the cities. Some 1000 city leaders in attendance online.
  3. New Creative Economy Forum, May 20-21, cases and stories from the creative economy on how human talent unpacked creates sustainable development and prosperity in the cities.
  4. Newly formed Association of Creative Places and Projects (ACPP) links up leaders supporting creativity and creative economy from 1000 cities to share inspiration and knowledge, generate ideas and create cross-border collaborations. Its mission is to unlock creative potential of humans and cities.

If you represent or know such creative spaces and breeding places in your city or elsewhere on our planet – please join or invite them to join our open network.

Contact:

Lev Gordon, Living Cities, lev.gordon.5 (Facebook)