The potential of a national atlas as integral part of the spatial data infrastructure as exemplified by the new Dutch national atlas

Summary

This paper explores the potential of a national atlas as an integral part of a national Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI), exemplified by the new Dutch National Atlas. Recent developments in national SDIs have stimulated interest in reviewing and renewing the national atlas concept. In a recent project, a feasibility study and prototype implementation of automatic visualization of spatial data available through the SDI were executed in a systematic and cartographically accountable way to guarantee an up-to-date national atlas. The objective was to investigate how the national atlas could be organized as an integral part of the SDI. The atlas would benefit from an up-to-date data flow, while the SDI would benefit from integrated visual summaries of available spatial data and geoservices in well-designed, comparable maps using the narrative characteristics of the atlas. As such, the national atlas provides alternative interactive and dynamic access to the SDI. This paper details the prototype implementation of the third edition of the Dutch National Atlas, which is based on datasets from national data providers (e.g., the Central Bureau of Statistics, the Geological Survey) and uses style templates to generate comparable maps. The paper discusses the atlas's positioning within the SDI, the required functionality (such as map comparison and data querying), technical implementation (including Scalable Vector Graphics, Flash, and platforms like Google Earth), and future updates and extensions, including the potential to leverage Web 2.0 communities (i.e., 'citizen scientists' or Volunteered Geographic Information) to update and enrich map content. Ultimately, the national atlas, integrated into the SDI, transcends its static and almost by definition outdated information provision image, gaining a new lease of life with many opportunities to play a useful role in the dynamic world of geoinformation where everyone is a cartographer.