The four capitals in the framework help broaden the perspective on earning capacity. In addition to financial-economic capital, the framework also considers human, social and natural capital. From these capitals, we look at the adaptive capabilities of companies and institutions and their ability to respond to societal and economic change. This adaptive capability takes shape through activities such as research and innovation; the renewal of economic activities; and education, training and talent development.
Because all these activities manifest themselves spatially, a broader perspective on space is also needed. Here, we distinguish between ‘space’: the physical space, such as locations, infrastructure and networks; and ‘place’: the social, cultural and institutional embedding of places.
Together, the four capitals, adaptive capability, the three activities and the broad perspective on space determine how agile and future-proof our economy is. This broad perspective supports the strategic use of our scarce space - both space and place.
The TNO Vector framework is primarily intended as a conceptual and assessment framework for spatial-economic questions in which multiple societal challenges, scale levels and interests come together. It helps to look beyond spatial claims or economic effects alone and also take into account the influence of human, social and natural capital, adaptive capability and the quality of places. This creates a broader perspective for action for policymakers, area developers and entrepreneurs.
