Zoning, a controversial public action tool for the development of rural territories

Abstract

Zoning has been an essential tool for most rural development policies over the past 50 years. However, its multiplication, the ambiguous climate in which it developed and the ravages of time have caused much criticism since the 1990's. Zoning critics particularly insist on the lack of coherence, on the boundary effects and the location advantages it creates, and on its ineffectiveness. However, substitution techniques that make it possible to select those who will benefit from public land development policies (individual identification of each beneficiary, selection of group projects, etc.) provide only partial and debatable solutions.It is hoped that this observation will encourage researchers and decision-makers to make an effort to improve this tool on new conceptual foundations.