Public history in the urban space: symbolic resource of the past and cultural capital

The article considers the role of public history in the development of modern city’s cultural capital. Public history is defined in terms of the peculiarities of its tools, which contribute to the involvement of the symbolic resource of the past in current cultural communications and the accumulation of cultural capital of urban local communities. Cultural capital is understood not only in the context of assessing the city’s cultural resources, but also their involvement in the production of public goods and flows of communications and services. The development of cultural capital is described in the context of three interrelated aspects of urban space: practical, imaginary and lived. The necessity to actualize the symbolic resource of the past and its use in improving the quality of urban environment is caused by the increased competition of modern cities for the most active and qualified residents.