This chapter focuses on the potential assets of a typical marginal rural area (the White Carpathians, South-Moravia, Czech Republic) for rural development. It analyses how and why environmental issues have long been connected to local development initiatives. The shift from top-down to bottom-up development frames and how it impacts on local development is studied. Finally, sustainable development perspectives for the White Carpathians, as an example of other European areas of the same kind, are discussed.