Promoting Rural Regeneration and Sustainable Farming near Cities Thanks to Facilitating Operators in France? The Case of the Versailles Plain’s Association Governance Model

Abstract

Food and agricultural systems in rural areas close to cities have been the subject of much academic research, revealing difficulties due to the proximity of cities, land pressure, and complex governance between cities and rural areas. This article aims to analyze the case study of the Versailles Plain Association (VPA), which proposes an original form of facilitation that contributes to the effectiveness of territorial governance in a rural area close to Paris. It is based on a qualitative method, gathering 52 interviews and heritage audits that were carried out in the framework of the European project H2020 Ruralization. The analysis shows that the VPA is a facilitating operator that brings together stakeholders from both the agricultural and urban worlds, allowing collective projects around a territorial identity. This territorial identity promotes agriculture and rural lifestyles, which become positive embodiments of local development. This facilitating operator thus offers an alternative to urbanization and produces forms of ruralization processes.