Map layers
Map layers put thematic data on top of the background map, so you can see where something occurs: zoning, natural hazards, noise, demographics, geology. Switch them on and off one by one, or combine them to answer a single question about a property. The catalogue has more than 250 main map layers in 18 categories, with around 2,300 sublayers in total. The number of layers and services is listed on Placepoint in numbers.
For a developer, agent or municipal case officer, map layers are usually the fastest check before a deeper look in the property panel: "is this plot in a flood zone?", "is the neighbourhood a commuter suburb or an office cluster?", "does a power line run straight across the footprint?".
How to open the catalogue
Click Map layer in the top right of the map. That opens a small panel showing the layers you have already added. Click Browse layers in the panel to open the catalogue itself. Some button labels in the catalogue are still shown in English while the translation is being finalised.
The heading counts each layer once. The number next to each category in the list on the left counts the layer again in every category it is filed under, so the sum of the category numbers is higher.
How to find your way
The list on the left has four entry points above the categories:
- Favorited, the layers you have starred.
- Recently used, the layers you have had on recently.
- Added, the layers that are in the map now.
- All, the whole catalogue, category by category.
The search field in the top right searches across all categories, on layer name and description. Type "flom" or "skred" and you avoid scrolling.
If you select one category, the catalogue shows only that one, with an introduction that explains what the category collects.
The buttons next to the search field switch between grid and list. The grid shows the thumbnail of the style sheet, the list fits more layers on the screen.
How to add a layer
- Click Map layer in the top right, then Browse layers.
- Select a category in the list on the left, or search for a layer in the field at the top.
- Click Add on the card. The layer is drawn on the map straight away.
- Click the star on the card to save the layer as a favourite, so you can find it again under Favorited.
- Close the catalogue. The active layers sit in the Map layer panel in the top right, where you can switch them on and off or remove them.
Video: from an empty map to two active layers
The video adds two layers through the search field in the catalogue and then uses the toggles in the Map layer panel to show one layer at a time. The map does not move along the way, so it is easy to see what each layer adds.
- Map layer in the top right, then Browse layers.
- Type "T-1442" in the search field. One layer matches: Noise mapping (T-1442). Click Add and close the catalogue. The layer now sits in the panel and is drawn on the map.
- Add layer in the panel, and type "trafikkulykke". Two layers match. Select Traffic accidents – heat map.
- The toggle on each row in the panel hides the layer without removing it. The video switches both off, shows only the noise zones, and finally shows only the heat map.
Duration: 1 minute and 9 seconds.
How to see what a layer contains before you add it
Click the name on a card to open a detail pane on the right. It answers what a card has no room for.
- About, the full description of the dataset, usually the provider's own.
- Categories, which categories the layer is filed under, and whether it has sublayers.
- Sublayers, the layers it consists of. Each sublayer can be switched on and off separately when the layer is in the map, and those that have their own description show it when you expand them.
- Sources, who supplies the data.
The pane scrolls. Municipal plans has 14 sublayers, and the list sits below the About text.
Functions per active layer
Each active layer is shown as a row in the active list with a fixed set of icons. Hover over each icon to see the label:
- Remove, takes the layer out of the active map layers.
- Blend mode, controls colour display and blend mode against the map layers underneath.
- Image Adjustment (opacity, contrast, brightness), the same kind of controls as in an image editor.
- Filter, opens the filter panel for the layer; narrow down which values are shown.
- Hide/Show, hides or shows the layer temporarily without removing it.
- Results table, opens a table with layer data for the visible map view.
What each sublayer shows
When you open a category, the panel shows the sublist. Each layer has:
- Title and a short factual text about what the layer shows.
- Thumbnail that previews the style sheet.
- Star to mark it as a favourite.
- Click the layer name for the detail pane with the full description, sublayers and sources.
Categories
The number in the top left corner of each tile is the number of layers in the category. The heading in the catalogue counts each layer once.
| Category | Layers | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Property | 25 | Matrikkelen property map, property boundaries |
| Buildings | 14 | Environmental Certifications, building age, shopping centres, sports and cultural buildings |
| Zoning | 15 | Municipality plan, zoning plan, building ban |
| Demographics | 11 | Population, income, age distribution |
| Education | 8 | Primary Schools, upper secondary schools, kindergartens |
| Pricing | 3 | Price trends, sales |
| Business | 22 | Grocery Chains, offices, businesses |
| Infrastructure | 17 | Public transport stops, cycle lanes, public transport routes |
| Energy | 9 | Power grid, energy labelling |
| Transport and communications | 17 | Roads, railway, public transport |
| Risk | 18 | Landslides, flooding, Quick clay, radon |
| Noise | 9 | Traffic noise, aircraft noise, industrial noise |
| Geology | 26 | Bedrock, superficial deposits, groundwater |
| Nature | 20 | Protected areas, habitat types |
| Pollution | 12 | Ground pollution, emissions |
| Agriculture | 3 | Cultivated land, pasture |
| Coast and fishing | 1 | Sea boundaries, aquaculture |
| Water | 16 | Lakes, rivers, watercourses |
The numbers were read off the category list in the catalogue on 26/08/2026. The catalogue is extended regularly, so check the number in the app if it matters.
Combine layers for professional assessments
| Purpose | Layers to combine |
|---|---|
| Natural hazards together | Risk (landslides + flooding + quick clay) |
| Socio-economics | Demographics (population + income + age) |
| Family and accessibility | Education (primary schools + kindergartens) + Infrastructure (public transport stops) |
| Housing suitability | Risk + Noise + Pollution |
| Development potential | Zoning + Property (plot boundaries) + Buildings |
| Geotechnical screening | Risk (quick clay + flooding) + Geology (superficial deposits) |
Typical use cases
Plot screening for a housing project. Turn on the Risk layers (Landslides + Flooding + Quick clay) together with Zoning. If the plot lies within an awareness zone and at the same time has favourable zoning, a geotechnical assessment becomes the first priority in due diligence.
Location analysis for a new outlet. Turn on Demographics (population, income) and Business (grocery chains). The result shows how much daytime population a neighbourhood has and how much shop coverage already exists.
Area zoning on a rural plot. Turn on the Agriculture layer's Area type together with Zoning. Cultivated land outside a zoning plan is typically LNF (agriculture, nature and outdoor recreation) in the Municipality plan and needs rezoning before development.
Pollution screening in an industrial area. Turn on Pollution (contaminated ground) and Buildings (building age). Older industrial buildings on plots with registered pollution are a red flag for soil replacement in a redevelopment.
Tips
- The search field at the top of the panel searches across all categories. Type "skred" or "flom" to find the right layer without scrolling through the categories.
- A layer activated from one category stays active when you open another. You can have layers from many categories on at the same time.
- Active layers are shown with a visual indicator in the sublist. Click the layer again to switch it off.
- Layers that fetch data from WMS/WFS services (Quick clay, Landslides, NGU) can take a few seconds to load the first time. That is expected.
- Colour codes and class boundaries are shown in the legend when the layer is in the map. For zoning plans and municipal plans, the categories are collected in the zoning plan legend.
Differences from v1
- v1 shows map layers as a hierarchical list with "Category → Theme → Layer" and checkboxes. Placepoint Fusion opens the catalogue from the Map layer button in the top right via Browse layers: a category list on the left, search at the top and one card per layer with Add and a favourite star.
- Both have 18 categories, but Placepoint Fusion has more layers: more than 250 main map layers against 220+ in v1.
- v1 has a Remember selected map layers toggle that saves active layers between sessions.
- v1 has an info button (
i) per layer that shows the description directly in the panel. Placepoint Fusion shows a short description on the card, and the full description, sublayers and sources in the detail pane when you click the layer name.
See also
- Activate a map layer, step-by-step workflow.
- Risk, the Risk category for natural hazards and ground conditions.
Slowness and missing layers
If an expected layer does not appear, check whether it is activated in Placepoint Fusion. Some WMS services are switched off during re-onboarding.