T-1442
T-1442 is the Ministry of Climate and Environment's guideline for handling noise in land-use planning. It defines how much road traffic, railway, aircraft, industrial and shooting range noise is considered acceptable on a site before it can be developed with housing, schools, care homes or other noise-sensitive uses. T-1442 is not a law, but a guideline issued under statutory authority in the Planning and Building Act, and municipalities apply it when zoning and processing building cases.
The statutory authority is the guideline T-1442/2021, last revised in 2021. The guideline divides the area around a noise source into three zones based on calculated 24-hour noise values. The red zone is not suitable for noise-sensitive uses; new housing, kindergartens, schools or health buildings should not be built here. The yellow zone is a trade-off zone where development can be allowed, but only under stricter conditions on noise measures, facade solutions, a quiet side and outdoor areas with noise reduction. The white zone has no particular restrictions.
The zone boundaries vary by source type and are expressed in Lden (weighted 24-hour average) for outdoor sound at the facade. For road traffic, the red zone is Lden ≥ 65 dB and the yellow zone is Lden 55-65 dB. The same main limits apply to railways and metro lines, but with an addition for maximum night-time level. For aviation, Lden 52 dB / 62 dB is used, with vibration considerations added. For industry, Lden 55 dB / 60 dB is often used. Shooting ranges and motorsport tracks have their own limits. Table 3 in the guideline gives the authoritative overview.
The consequence of the zones is that a developer who wants to build housing in the yellow zone must document several things in the zoning plan: indoor noise level below 30 dB Lden, a satisfactory quiet side on the facade, and at least 50% of the outdoor area with an outdoor noise level below the yellow zone limit. Failure to meet this is a typical reason for an objection from the County Governor or the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and can stop the plan. Outdoor areas in the red zone are normally not accepted without screening measures.
T-1442 is used in zoning plans, impact assessments and building applications. Noise reports with calculated Lden across the whole site are submitted as attachments, based on traffic counts, railway forecasts or measurement of industrial activity. The calculation follows the Nordic calculation method for road traffic noise (NMT) or equivalent methods for other source types. On maps, the noise zones are shown as consideration zones in the municipal master plan or zoning plan, often colour-coded red and yellow.
T-1442 covers land-use planning and construction. For the operation of individual businesses (industry, restaurants, ventilation facing a neighbour), chapter 5 of the pollution regulations applies. These are different legal tracks: T-1442 governs what can be allowed in zoning, while chapter 5 governs what an existing business can emit. A home zoned in the yellow zone does not automatically have a right to measures from the noise source afterwards; measures must be negotiated during development or resolved through the pollution authorities.
In practice: before buying a development site near a road, railway, airport or industry, you should map the noise conditions. A site in the red zone for road traffic is often unsuitable for housing development without large and expensive facade measures, and it can be easier to zone for offices or commercial use, where the noise requirements are looser.
In Placepoint you find noise zones and T-1442 data as a map layer, and you can assess the zoning risk together with other consideration zones for a property directly from the property panel.
How the dataset appears on the map
The dataset is part of the map layer Pollution as Noise mapping (T-1442):
From Placepoint's dictionary: T-1442
More information: The Government: Guideline T-1442/2021, Norwegian Environment Agency: Noise in land-use planning, Norwegian Public Roads Administration: Noise
English: T-1442 (Norwegian noise guideline for land-use planning).
Frequently asked questions
What is T-1442?
T-1442 is the Ministry of Climate and Environment's guideline for handling noise in land-use planning. It defines red, yellow and white noise zones and is applied by municipalities in zoning and building cases.
What is the difference between the red and yellow noise zones?
The red zone is not suitable for new housing, schools or health buildings. The yellow zone is a trade-off zone where development can be allowed, but only under stricter conditions on indoor noise level, a quiet side and screened outdoor areas.
Which limits apply to road traffic noise?
For road traffic, the red zone is Lden ≥ 65 dB and the yellow zone is Lden 55-65 dB at the facade. Other source types (railway, aircraft, industry) have their own limits in table 3 of the guideline.
Can I build housing in the yellow noise zone?
Yes, if the developer documents indoor noise below 30 dB Lden, a quiet side on the facade, and that at least 50% of the outdoor area has a noise level below the yellow zone limit.
Is T-1442 a law or a guideline?
T-1442 is a guideline, not a law. It is still binding in practice, because municipalities and sector authorities apply it, and deviations can trigger an objection to the zoning plan.