PROMOTING QUALITY OF LIFE AND HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT FOR LIVABLE CITIES IN THE EASTERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

Abstract

This academic article analyzed and synthesized the relationships among quality of life, human capital development, urban planning and design, and the concept of livable cities in order to propose directions for livable city development in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). Drawing on theoretical literature, policy documents, and international urban cases. The article argued that territorial competitiveness depends not only on producing skills that matched industrial demand, but also on the quality of urban environments that can attract, develop, utilize, and retain human capital over time. The article proposed a “Livable City–Human Capital Ecosystem” comprising four interconnected layers: 1) Quality-of-life foundation encompassing health, housing, safety, environmental quality, and work–life balance; 2) Enabling urban systems, including infrastructure, mobility, public services, green space, and mixed land use; 3)  Human capital cycle involving attraction, development, effective utilization, and retention; and 4) Territorial outcomes in productivity, innovation, inclusion, competitiveness, and sustainability. For the EEC, the framework should be advanced through three mechanisms: creating livable environments, developing infrastructure and economic opportunities, and establishing policies, incentives, and participatory governance that systematically integrated urban development with human capital strategies.