The appropriate scale is a central feature of any process. It is a central aspect too of the development process in its multilayered aspects, affecting the socioeconomic development process on all its levels (social, cultural, political, economic, technical and environmental dimension). Notwithstanding, little attention is given to the dimension of scale in most discussions about sustainable development, centred as we are in looking for ways of ‘sustaining growth’ instead of stopping or even reversing it. In this article we consider the dimension of scale (or over-scale) particularly making reference to Leopold Kohr’s fundamental and path-breaking analysis. Abundant reference and quotations are made, particularly from his major work ‘The Breakdown of Nations’ as a way of tribute and bringing this fundamental author closer to the Spanish speaking reader once his work has not yet been translated into Spanish
