The actor dimension proves to be a key one in shaping developmental strategies and trajectories of cities and towns, especially as regards the tapping of local resources. In this collective study the authors examine the perceptions of local actors and their appraisals of the various developmental potentials and obstacles in the sampled towns. Particular emphasis is placed on the questions of identity, assuming that mechanisms whereby territorial capital is put to use necessarily depend on local actors’ knowledgeability and commitment to the town’s development, their willingness to identify common interests and to cooperate.