Abstract
Spatially embedded social capital is an important factor in regional development. In this paper, we first discuss the concept of social capital, concentrating on its main characteristics and ways of its constitution.
We outline the origin of social capital within social networks and groups (structural part of social capital) and its reflection in the level of mutual trust in these groups and networks (cognitive part of social capital). In the following part we focus on territoriality of social groups and social networks and on the importance of horizontal and vertical relations between these networks on various geographical scales.
We discuss types of social capital (bonding, bridging, linking) and their relation to spatial structures and territoriality of social relations acknowledging both differences and complementarities of particular types of social capital.