Research on regional and territorial development and policies devoted to theses processes, have little interest in questions of mobilizing local actors and their involvement in the implementation of major projects or choice of territorial development paths. Yet, opinions and preferences of local population are ever more considered and play an increasing role in the construction of public action, so that the notion of territorial governance is increasingly used, which means both people's participation in decision-making, through various groups or representatives, and an entangling decision levels, from local to global. This paper provides some reflections on territorial governance and its linkages with development issues. First, is proposed a return on the issues of regional and territorial development, by questioning the meaning of terms used. Then is discussed the field of policies for regional development and planning, before concluding with an analysis of actors, tools and mechanisms of territorial governance, in its cooperative and conflict dimensions.