A compendium: The atlas of Paris

This review evaluates the Atlas of Paris and the Paris Region, a monumental collective work directed by Jacqueline Beaujeu-Garnier and Jean Bastié. Based on five years of research, extensive statistical processing, and sophisticated cartographic methods, the atlas examines the physical setting, urban structures, population, transport, agriculture, industry, services, and Paris’s national and international roles. Detailed maps reveal the historical layering of housing, east–west residential inequalities, peripheral and southern urban growth, land-use patterns, population decline in dense central districts, migration, employment, and industrial decentralization. Each plate combines original data, geographical interpretation, and methodological guidance. Despite its cost, weight, and limited portability, the atlas is praised for its exceptional technical precision, visual clarity, and analytical richness. It constitutes both an authoritative reference for understanding metropolitan Paris and a scientific model for urban geography, cartography, and regional planning.