A systematic review of entrepreneurship and human capital in urban management for reintegration pathways

Document Type

Review

Publication Date

6-1-2026

Abstract

Entrepreneurship has gained growing recognition as a strategic approach within urban management for mobilising human capital, particularly among marginalised populations such as formerly incarcerated individuals. Reintegration is conceptualised not only as reducing recidivism but also as the productive redeployment of latent skills into inclusive urban economies. Guided by PRISMA methodology, this study conducted a systematic literature review of nine empirical works published between 2001 and 2025, covering evidence from diverse regions. The synthesis produced three central themes. First, persistent structural barriers such as stigma, unemployment, limited financial access, and restrictive regulations constrain reintegration opportunities and weaken the capacity of cities to utilise available human capital. Second, entrepreneurship emerged as a pathway for employability, transferable skills, and self-employment, providing alternatives to exclusionary labour markets while fostering managerial and financial competencies essential for urban economic participation. Third, entrepreneurship demonstrates wider potential as a strategic tool for urban governance by strengthening resilience, equity, and sustainable growth, provided that initiatives are embedded within supportive ecosystems. Findings highlight that entrepreneurship contributes to urban human capital development only when supported by enabling policies and infrastructure. Key requirements include microfinance access, incubators, digital entrepreneurship training, regulatory reform, and stigma reduction. Without such systemic support, entrepreneurship risks becoming fragmented and unsustainable. From a policy perspective, embedding entrepreneurship within human capital management frameworks enables cities to alleviate the fiscal burden of incarceration, reduce welfare dependency, enhance social cohesion, and promote inclusive development. This study contributes to contemporary urban management debates by reframing reintegration as a governance challenge and positioning entrepreneurship as both an economic and social strategy. The review underscores the importance of integrated, evidence-based urban policies that move beyond recidivism reduction to transform marginalised populations into productive contributors to resilient, equitable, and sustainable cities.

Keywords

economic participation, ecosystems, governance, incarceration, inclusive cities

Publication Title

Multidisciplinary Reviews

ISSN

2595-3982

DOI

10.31893/multirev.2026306

Volume

9

Issue

6

Publisher

Malque Publishing

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