Learning Cities and Urban Ecosystems. Digital Technologies Fostering Informal Lifelong Environmental Education in Cities and Urban Participation

In the context of the ecological crisis and increasing urbanization, cities can be understood as learning ecosystems where public space plays a central role in fostering informal, lifelong Environmental Education. Public spaces function simultaneously as everyday environments, educational settings, and arenas for civic participation, yet the potential of digital technologies to support informal environmental learning and participation in urban public space remains underexplored. Building on this gap, the paper asks which digital technology functionalities can enhance informal Environmental Education in cities, and how these functionalities contribute to educational objectives related to awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and participation. The study adopts a three-step methodology: a review of the state of the art and the construction of an analytical framework linking educational objectives and technological functionalities; a comparative analysis of three digital technologies—Augmented Reality, participatory platforms, and video mapping; and an in-depth examination of two selected case studies. The findings show that digital technologies can significantly expand the educational and participatory capacity of public space, though with differentiated effects. Augmented Reality enhances immersive and situated learning but is constrained by accessibility barriers; participatory platforms strengthen collective learning and civic participation while requiring adequate digital literacy and facilitation; video mapping proves highly accessible and effective in activating awareness and emotional engagement in public space, yet remains limited in fostering skills and active participation. Overall, the paper argues that digital technologies contribute most effectively to informal Environmental Education when embedded in public space–based processes that integrate participation, dialogue, and long-term civic engagement, rather than being deployed as isolated technological interventions