Compilation features of the Shanghai atlas

Summary

This article describes the content, organization, cartographic representation, and printing of the Shanghai Municipal Atlas. Designed to present Shanghai’s urban geography, research results, and development, the atlas comprises four sections: introductory maps, urban-area maps, suburban-county maps, and historical, physical, and economic maps, supplemented by explanatory texts and a standardized place-name index. The urban maps emphasize roads, building types, public facilities, and green space; the county maps combine physical and social features; and the thematic section covers urban evolution, the natural environment, population, industry, commerce, transport, public services, land use, and pollution. Soil and some municipal-infrastructure maps were omitted because of data constraints. General maps precede thematic maps; the urban area uses continuous sheets at uniform scales, while suburban areas are divided by county. Thematic representation includes analytical, regionalization, dynamic, sectional, and overlay maps, together with flow-line symbols for depicting distributions and relationships. Color schemes distinguish the mapped area from its surroundings and employ symbolic associations. Production methods included custom screens, three-primary-color overprinting, transitional exposure, and silver-chloride film copying to expand tonal variation and improve plate quality.