tettstadsområder

Tettstadsområder is a Nordic statistical term describing urbanized, densely built-up areas. In Norway, tettstadsområde refers to a contiguous built-up area that has at least 200 inhabitants and where the distance between buildings does not exceed 50 meters. The boundaries are defined by the actual layout of the built environment rather than by administrative borders, so a tettstadsområde can span multiple municipalities.

These areas are used in official statistics to analyze population distribution, housing development, infrastructure needs, and regional planning. Because they focus on the physical extent of urbanized settlement, tettstadsområder can grow or shrink as new buildings are constructed or as construction is abandoned, and they are updated periodically by statistical authorities.

Tettstadsområder are related to the broader concept of urban areas or urban agglomerations, and they provide a more consistent basis for comparing cities and regions than municipal boundaries alone. The approach is not unique to Norway; other Nordic countries use similar concepts under different names (for example, Sweden uses tätorter), with differences primarily in terminology and exact thresholds.

In practice, tettstadsområder serve planners, researchers, and policymakers by highlighting where population concentrations and built-up environments exist, enabling analyses of traffic, services, housing needs, and regional development without being constrained by how municipalities are drawn.