Problems of northern development involve not only lack of planning and a ruthless relationship to the environment, but also the tackling of new situations and the search for better solutions. « Development » is not « growth » and should also include the activities of the indigenous population. Two themes are developed : « Space and Development » and « Mental Structures and Development ». Among the human problems of space, non-indigenous settlements are the most provocative. There is a tendency to dissociate « permanent residential » and « temporary » ecumenes (shift work). Different settlement patterns and the heartland-hinterland theories are discussed. Some development projects are focused on land, not money. Problems of political privileges come to the fore, and « big business » focuses its operations on the interests of the South. The South neither thinks north or looks north. The participation of the indigenous population in the decision-making process is inadequate and so is the role played by ecology. One of the obscure points needing examination or clarification is the position of northern lands in national affairs. Cultural domination in the linguistic field is a problem in both North America and the Soviet Union.