Seeking spatial capital: towards an operative definition for spatial justice

The concept of spatial capital has gained attention in planning and urban studies, yet it remains theoretically fragmented and weakly connected to debates on spatial justice. This article clarifies the concept to better explain the production of metropolitan spatial inequalities. It aims to systematize key theoretical perspectives, identify the mechanisms through which spatial capital is produced and accumulated, and propose an operative definition for planning analysis. Methodologically, the study develops a theory-informed qualitative comparative analysis of planning, sociological, morphological, and critical urban theories. It argues that spatial capital operates as an institutionally mediated and unevenly accumulated capacity shaping metropolitan development.