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City noise maps, generated by combining traffic data, building density, and acoustic modelling software, allow planners to visualise sound levels across an urban area without needing microphones on every street corner. These maps are increasingly used not just to identify problem zones near highways or airports but to inform decisions about where to site hospitals, schools, and housing developments, since chronic noise exposure has been linked to elevated stress hormones and disrupted sleep. Critics of the modelling approach point out that computer-generated maps can miss localised anomalies, such as noise reflected unpredictably between closely spaced buildings, that only direct measurement would catch. Consequently, many cities now treat modelled noise maps as a planning starting point, supplemented by targeted physical measurements in areas flagged as sensitive, such as sites proposed for new schools or hospitals.