Human capital space: a spatial perspective of the dynamics of people and economic relationships

Abstract

While researchers increasingly recognise drastic changes in populations and repeatedly emphasise their implications for development, far less attention is devoted to thinking of and making spaces available for people. This article proposes the concept of human capital space (HCS) and elaborates on its typology, spatial externalities, selection-sorting-matching mechanism, and crucial role in building dynamic capabilities in cities and regions. Theoretical discourses and constructs furnish reasons to believe that HCS is a useful instrument to examine the complex people–space relationship and to encourage conversations about the interactions among population, labour, economic geographies, and related disciplines. HCS provides a terrain for scientists to actively engage in human-centred spatial development, inform policies in a timely manner, and argue for effective investment in space to bolster the endogenous power of spatial development.