Over the past decade, there has been considerable momentum in the re-framing of European space at multiple scales through a combination of supra-national policy integration, enlargement, devolution, and regionalisation. This paper gives consideration to the formation and initial operation of new alliances for territorial development at the meso-spatial scale of the ‘Pays’ in France and Belgium. It explores the contribution of ‘Pays’ as new scale action spaces in which to engage elected representatives, civil society, the private sector and public offi cials in a constructive planning dialogue around locally determined development trajectories. Following this introduction, the second section of the paper highlights the contribution of two important dynamics that are endeavouring to support scale formation: strategic territorial planning and multi level governance. We then deal with the emergence and governance arena of the ‘Pays’ in France and present two case study experiences from the Champagne- -Ardenne region. In the next section of the paper we consider the ‘Pays’ approach to territorial development in Belgium by drawing on the insights gained from two case studies in Wallonia (Figure 1). The paper concludes with a critical assessment of the ‘Pays’ approach as a meaningful contribution to rescaling territorial development at the meso-scale with particular reference to concerns around the interaction between strategic planning and multiple governance stakeholders.