The atlas of Paris

This article presents the Atlas of Paris and the Paris Region, completed after five years of work. Comprising 92 plates, 350 maps, and 950 pages of commentary, the atlas integrates statistical and governmental sources with comparative cartography and historical analysis to examine Paris’s natural environment, population, transportation, and economic structure. It shows that Paris is relatively small among major world cities but exceptionally dense, while urbanization has transformed its waterways, topography, and climate. Despite decentralization policies, industrial, administrative, and commercial functions remain highly concentrated in the capital region. The atlas also documents intensifying flows of people, goods, and transport between Paris, the rest of France, and the wider world. It therefore constitutes a major reference for understanding metropolitan change and regional planning.