Los Angeles in context: Street-network sprawl trends

Los Angeles in context

33.64.24.8<19751976–19901991–20052006–2020SNDi of street additions
33.64.24.8<19751976–19901991–20052006–2020SNDi of entire street network
Los AngelesCalifornia (Region)United States (Country)

The chart above shows SNDi trends for new street additions (left panel) and the entire network (right panel), with Los Angeles plotted against California and United States. While California and United States both peaked in 1991-2005, Los Angeles's new street additions peaked in 1991-2005. Most recently, Los Angeles's incremental SNDi fell from 4.75 to 4.35 between 1991-2005 and 2006-2020. In terms of the aggregate network, Los Angeles ranked 18th out of 60 cities in California and 174th out of 333 in United States as of 2020.

New Street Additions (2006–2020)

SNDi value
4.35
Rank in United States
194th of 333
Rank in California
39th of 60

Entire Network (Aggregate)

SNDi value
3.27
Rank in United States
174th of 333
Rank in California
18th of 60

Rankings go from most connected to most disconnected — rank 1 is the most connected.

What about similarly populated cities?

1.82.73.64.5<19751976–19901991–20052006–2020SNDi of street additions
1.82.73.64.5<19751976–19901991–20052006–2020SNDi of entire street network
Los AngelesMoscowLahore

While Moscow and Lahore both built increasingly disconnected streets over time, Los Angeles built increasingly disconnected streets from 1975 through 1991-2005, then improved in new street additions. For the full street network, though, all three cities follow the same trend. Los Angeles and Lahore have been growing further apart in their street-network character since 1975.