Reflections on a method for the cartographical illustration of development options
Land development is an essential discipline for all individuals since it regulates the immediate environment in which we all evolve. Nevertheless, it is a somewhat ambiguous notion, perceived and treated differently by all of the countries making up Europe. In Belgium, and in many other countries, it has been contemplated for ages with a normative rather than a strategic eye. That is the reason why cartographical illustrations have often been more analytical than prospective.
The ambition of the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) is to develop a strategic reflection on land development. It proposes a series of options for the development of European territory. Nevertheless, the maps attached to the project drafted during the Noordwijk meeting in 1997 do not express options but translate a series of indicators on the existing situation for fields such as mobility or the natural inheritance.
The task demanded by the European Commission consisted in proposing graphic illustrations for the ESDP. Our aim is to reflect on the way to illustrate the ESDP options cartographically and not to draft a series of maps indicating specific locations. Moreover, we have no "space" datum with regard to the existing situation and to options for the European territory as a whole.
The Institute of Urban and Regional Planning has developed, at first, a simple and general methodology for the representation of space development alternatives. This methodology is general in the sense of being applicable to all or nearly all alternatives, and simple in the sense of being easy to understand by all individuals. Also, we have proposed a symbolic cartographic language that allows the creation of maps illustrating space development options. (for more informations, please contact iuat@ulb.ac.be).
However, as we realised that we had no data relative to the geographical application of ESDP options, we later decided to embark ourselves upon the reflection about a type of illustration that would be graphic rather than cartographic.
Our research has focused upon a graphic language that was explicit enough, i.e. it did not require any prior initiation or was not confined by cultural differences. This process has brought us to proposing a set of simple and attractive illustrations for the representation of the thirteen SDEC options (cf. see above).