The Programme on Educational Building (PEB) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development promotes the international exchange of ideas, information, research, and experiences in the field of educational facilities. This report was inspired by a conference on renewing urban schools organized by the PEB in Baltimore (Maryland) in 1992. It draws on and builds on the work of that conference. The first section of the report is an essay on urban schools. The first chapter of the essay concludes that the world needs a vision of a "learning city" for the future, and the second focuses on six themes that illustrate the connections between education and aspects of economic development: (1) investing to enhance the built environment; (2) modernizing and improving school buildings; (3) making more of educational facilities; (4) adult learners in colleges and schools; (5) the place of vocational education; and (6) uncoupling schools and buildings. The third chapter looks at families and poverty, race and ethnicity, and crime. The fourth chapter then explores planning issues in creating the learning city, with emphasis on the role of government. The second section presents nine case studies about the renovation of urban schooling in Australia, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, Greece, the Netherlands, France, the United States, and Scotland. The case study bibliography lists nine sources. (Contains 128 references.) (SLD)