ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the concept of the Learning Society as an educational philosophy, which has permeated the ethos of many regions throughout eras of history. Around the world there are a number of discrete initiatives within individual cities or regions, from Canada to South Africa, Australia and beyond, with the most comprehensive developments in the last decade in Asia. The chapter outlines of learning cities, with an overview of exemplars from the past, such as ancient centres of learning, illustrating how learning in antiquity placed an emphasis on the role of place, with implications for culture, health and well-being, social cohesion, inclusion and socio-economic success, as persistent learning city themes throughout the ages. Big Data refers to the complex sources of information created and stored by organisations, including traditional databases, and more technologically diverse sources of data, such as social media, geographical mapping data and weather.
