Strategic spatial plans are preferred tools to envision future development in urbans regions. The main directions of spatial development, called planning intentions, can be fragmented in these documents and are commonly represented in a mixing mix of text, graphics, tables, diagrams and maps. This information does not always allow for a clear visualisation of the planning intentions and of how they reinforce or hamper each other. The purpose of this study is to develop a method to translate planning intentions into maps in order to better understand their spatiality. Focusing on the case study of Copenhagen, we conduct a content analysis of the strategic spatial plan (i.e. The Fingerplan 2013) to identify the main planning intentions. For each of these planning intentions, we systematically collect all information contained in the plan such as details on location, spatial extent, planned conversion or transformation of land use, and fuzziness. With this information we build a model to translate the planning intentions into pixel-based maps and thus visualize the planning intentions. Finally, a composite map of the planning intentions of the The Fingerplan is presented and discussed. This study is expected to contribute to a better understanding of the spatiality of strategic planning and eventually to enable a better link between spatial planning and land change modelling.