Street-network Sprawl in Adrar, Algeria

What is Street-network sprawl?

Street-network Sprawl is a way to measure urban sprawl, worldwide, through the connectedness of the streets. Less sprawl means more connected, more walkable streets. Well-connected streets – like New York City’s grid – are more walkable and can be served by public transit.

The street network is permanent, and its connectivity affects the livability and environmental footprint of cities for decades and centuries to come. In places with more connected streets, residents drive less and walk more. A well-connected street network is associated with better outcomes for health, the environment, sustainable consumption, social integration, and equity.

We can quantify how connected street networks are with the Street Network Disconnectedness Index (SNDi).

SNDi -- our measure of street-network sprawl (disconnectedness)

The SNDi is a comprehensive measurement of “sprawl”. It captures:

A higher SNDi means less-connected streets – i.e., more sprawl. For the 10137 cities in our dataset, the average SNDi is 2.25, with half of the cities' SNDis falling between 1.08 and 3.25.

More information on the sprawl index can be found in these research papers:

To see the state of street-network sprawl across the globe, visit the sprawlmap.

Adrar: city in Algeria

What exactly constitutes the spatial extent of the city? For these aggregations, we used the Global Human Settlement Layer Urban Center Database (GHS-UCDB) to define the boundaries of the city. These cities -- or urban centers -- cover areas that are densely populated and built-up, and so may extend beyond the spatial borders of these cities that we may be familiar with. The GHS area is shaded in blue.

View Adrar, Algeria on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Adrar as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.41, which is very well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.44, 0.21, 0.25 and 0.74. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Adrar fell, then rose. In 1976-1990, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Adrar spans a total of 256 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 0.21, which is very well-connected.

Effect on the aggregate network: New construction in each period adds to the total stock of streets, but does not change streets that have already been built. Therefore, it has a limited effect on the street network as a whole. The SNDis of the aggregate street network in the respective time periods are 1.44, 0.24, 0.25 and 0.41. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Adrar has worsened in disconnectivity since 1990.

Adrar and Adrar do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Adrar was at its lowest in 1976-1990, while the SNDi of street constructions in Adrar fell steadily.

How do development practices in Adrar fare in comparison to others in Adrar? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Adrar was the 1st-most disconnected out of the 1 cities in Adrar. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Adrar ranked 1st in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

Adrar and Algeria follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Adrar fare in comparison to others in Algeria? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Adrar was the 84th-most disconnected out of the 95 cities in Algeria. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Algeria, street construction in Adrar has become more connected. Adrar ranked 33rd in 1975, 82nd in 1976-1990, 80th in 1991-2000 and 84th in 2001-2014.

Adrar and Adrar do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Adrar was at its lowest in 1976-1990, while the SNDi of street constructions in Adrar fell steadily.

To date, Adrar is the 1st-most disconnected out of the 1 cities in Adrar. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Adrar ranked 1st in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

Adrar and Algeria follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, Adrar is the 84th-most disconnected out of the 95 cities in Algeria. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Algeria, the street network in Adrar has become more connected. Adrar ranked 33rd in 1975, 82nd in 1976-1990, 84th in 1991-2000 and 84th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Adrar had a built-up area of 10.99 square kilometers, and a population of 85190 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: