André Torre is research director at INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research) and AgroParisTech (the main school of engineers in this field) in Paris. He teaches in several French Universities. He is Chief Editor of the Revue d’Economie Régionale et Urbaine and immediate past-President of the French speaking section of RSAI. He is currently head of the national PSDR (For and About Regional development) research program, which involves various teams and stakeholders belonging from ten French regions. André Torre has published 11 books and 15 special issues of scientific peer review journals, as well as two hundred papers on the topics of proximity, innovation and regional development. Frederic Wallet is a researcher at INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research) and Agroparistech in Paris. His research interests include governance and institutional innovation processes and their influence on regional development, in particular in rural and suburban areas. He teaches in several universities and French engineering schools, and is expert for the French government on issues of rural development. He published twenty articles, edited two books, and also contributed to several collective books. Currently, he is national manager of the national PSDR (For and About Regional development) research program, and member of the editorial board of Géographie, Economie et Société.

• Introduction.- Disputed Notions and Definitions in Rural and Regional Studies.- From the Early Literature to the Contemporary Approaches to Regional and Territorial Development.- Policies of Regional Development and Planning.- In Search of Rural Development.- Rural Development Policies.- What Future for Rural Areas? Scenarios for Possible Development Paths.- Conclusion.

André Torre is research director at INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research) and AgroParisTech (the main school of engineers in this field) in Paris. He teaches in several French Universities. He is Chief Editor of the Revue d’Economie Régionale et Urbaine and immediate past-President of the French speaking section of RSAI. He is currently head of the national PSDR (For and About Regional development) research program, which involves various teams and stakeholders belonging from ten French regions. André Torre has published 11 books and 15 special issues of scientific peer review journals, as well as two hundred papers on the topics of proximity, innovation and regional development. Frederic Wallet is a researcher at INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research) and Agroparistech in Paris. His research interests include governance and institutional innovation processes and their influence on regional development, in particular in rural and suburban areas. He teaches in several universities and French engineering schools, and is expert for the French government on issues of rural development. He published twenty articles, edited two books, and also contributed to several collective books. Currently, he is national manager of the national PSDR (For and About Regional development) research program, and member of the editorial board of Géographie, Economie et Société.

• Introduction.- Disputed Notions and Definitions in Rural and Regional Studies.- From the Early Literature to the Contemporary Approaches to Regional and Territorial Development.- Policies of Regional Development and Planning.- In Search of Rural Development.- Rural Development Policies.- What Future for Rural Areas? Scenarios for Possible Development Paths.- Conclusion.

André Torre is research director at INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research) and AgroParisTech (the main school of engineers in this field) in Paris. He teaches in several French Universities. He is Chief Editor of the Revue d’Economie Régionale et Urbaine and immediate past-President of the French speaking section of RSAI. He is currently head of the national PSDR (For and About Regional development) research program, which involves various teams and stakeholders belonging from ten French regions. André Torre has published 11 books and 15 special issues of scientific peer review journals, as well as two hundred papers on the topics of proximity, innovation and regional development. Frederic Wallet is a researcher at INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research) and Agroparistech in Paris. His research interests include governance and institutional innovation processes and their influence on regional development, in particular in rural and suburban areas. He teaches in several universities and French engineering schools, and is expert for the French government on issues of rural development. He published twenty articles, edited two books, and also contributed to several collective books. Currently, he is national manager of the national PSDR (For and About Regional development) research program, and member of the editorial board of Géographie, Economie et Société.

• Introduction.- Disputed Notions and Definitions in Rural and Regional Studies.- From the Early Literature to the Contemporary Approaches to Regional and Territorial Development.- Policies of Regional Development and Planning.- In Search of Rural Development.- Rural Development Policies.- What Future for Rural Areas? Scenarios for Possible Development Paths.- Conclusion.