ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study in rural France to understand how sense of place gets deliberately constructed through place-branding and the recognition, designation, and assessment of heritage value. It delves into the practices of the Association des Plus Beaux Villages de France (Most Beautiful Villages of France – MBVF) to highlight how its model of place-making and rural heritage preservation at the same time promotes place exceptionalism and creates ideal place types, while also triggering rediscovery of place, fueling place attachment, and encouraging place stewardship.
