Understanding the territory : literature review

Abstract

The concept of territory generally refers to a geographical space delimited by borders, occupied by a group of people. In the literature, researchers identify it more as a space that considers political, economic, social, cultural, and emotional realities.

Territory is at once an explanation of the past and a projection into the future, through the improvements that best meet the needs of that same space.

Rather than approaching territory through a single discipline, this review proposes a multidimensional reading, at once legal, sociological and geographical, in order to understand how these approaches shape a territorial management able to meet the challenges of sustainability and attractiveness.

The objective is to understand the multidimensional aspect of territory, to determine the factors that promote the creation of territorial capital and to identify territorial actors and their impact on strategic projects.

This synthesis draws on thirty references published between 1997 and 2024, from management, geography, territorial economics, law and sociology, analysed through a reading sheet covering their theoretical framework, methodology and main results. The analysis shows that territory is not limited to its spatial dimension : it is a strategic and social space whose dynamics rest on the mobilisation of actors around specific resources. The transition towards sustainable territorial management, in turn, requires a flexible and participative governance, supported by social innovation and territorial intelligence.

JEL Classification: R58, R11, K10, Z18  

Paper type: Review paper