Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 11.2
The city as capital inventory
educational qualifications, skills—including entrepreneurial ones—and creativity
in innovations of goods or ideas The importance of 'creativity' in the population has
often been regarded as the crucial element in the new knowledge society in cities
(Florida
2002
; Landry
2005
) but does seem only
part
of the range of features that
affect knowledge development. In addition, it seems that the value of the popula-
tion capital is enhanced by the presence of international, ethnically diverse groups.
They bring different attributes, work-habits, skills and points of view to a city and
its activities, as well as providing contacts and knowledge of opportunities in for-
eign countries. The health of the population should also be stressed as a vital factor
as well as diets and physical activity levels. This is not simply an issue of reducing
days lost through sickness, or the possibility of premature death, thereby increasing
death rates. It is also associated with the fact that health seems intimately related to
intelligence and hence knowledge capacity and future capability. It has long been
