S'il te plait, dessine moi un paysage

Abstract Various legal instruments for the protection of landscape and nature in France are summarised. Planning and management measures taken under this legislation must be supported by various types of landscape maps. Various types of maps, appropriate to these purposes, are reviewed and their technical problems discussed. Modern technology enables us to create sophisticated kinds of visual representation, but these must be comprehensible to a variety of end‐users including the general public. Landscape assessors should also be aware of public opinion and consensus, and should not defer only to technical specialism.