Urban Environment as a Factor in Human Capital Development

Human capital development depends on a vast number of factors, the most significant of which is urban environment. The articles gives an overall assessment of the urban environment and an assessment of individual environmental components (ecological, material, socio-cultural, anthropocentric). It stresses the fact that the influence of a large city on human capital is contradictory. Urban environment is an environment which generates and spreads innovations that run through several development stages. Once an innovation emerges, the inner cycle (like-minded people, colleagues, superiors, family) filters it. After that the innovation reaches the stage of being accepted or rejected by greater social powers. At this level, the main players are government officials, economic entities, co-workers, population). Education and the level of information-cultural development of the population are of considerable importance. Findings of sociological studies demonstrate that most of the population prefer two types of information – entertaining and political. The author concludes that city is ranked fourth among all factors influencing human capital.