L’Atlas du Survey National

Summary

This article introduces the Atlas du Survey National, a national atlas of Belgium produced by the Administration de l'Urbanisme with the scientific collaboration of the Survey National service. The project originated in 1947 when the National Planning Commission proposed collecting and coordinating general geographic and statistical data on Belgium for urban planning. A dedicated service was created in 1949, staffed by geographers and economists, which inventoried existing cartographic materials, gathered data from various administrations, and converted census and statistical records into maps and cartograms. The atlas emphasized both current spatial distributions and recent changes, following the approach of human geography. By late 1959, 73 color plates had been published at 1:1,000,000 scale, based on the larger-scale maps of the General Atlas, which comprised more than 400 documents classified into twenty categories, including population, economy, housing, transport, tourism and nature protection. The maps, usually by commune, used absolute numbers and percentages to show phenomena such as demographic change, migration, employment, unemployment, tourism and housing conditions. Each series is accompanied by explanatory notes and references. The publication was intended to serve national and regional planning, assist the administration in reviewing local and regional plans, and support education. It complemented rather than duplicated the Atlas de Belgique, focusing on applied planning issues. Belgium thus joined the few countries possessing such a comprehensive planning atlas.