Street-network Sprawl in Córdoba, Argentina

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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:

• nodal degree
• dendricity, the tree-likeness of the street network
• circuity, the ratio of the distance by road to the straight-line distance of two locations on the street network
• sinuosity, the curviness of a street

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:

• Global trends toward urban street-network sprawl
• A global assessment of street-network sprawl

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

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Córdoba: region in Argentina

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 Córdoba, Argentina on the sprawlmap

How have Córdoba's street networks changed over time?

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Córdoba as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.98, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.33, 1.06, 1.5 and 2.04. In each period, new street development in Córdoba steadily grows more disconnected than in the last. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.73 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.54.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Córdoba spans a total of 31361 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 1.06, which is relatively 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 0.33, 0.75, 0.84 and 0.98. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Córdoba has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.42 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.14.

Córdoba in context: Street-network sprawl of new development

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Córdoba rose steadily. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Córdoba, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Cordoba, Río Cuarto and Villa María. Disconnectivity in the most populous cities in Córdoba follow the same region trend.

How do development practices in Córdoba fare in comparison to others in Argentina? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Córdoba was the 11th-most disconnected out of the 23 regions in Argentina. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Argentina, street construction in Córdoba has become more disconnected. Córdoba ranked 16th in 1975, 10th in 1976-1990, 8th in 1991-2000 and 11th in 2001-2014.

Córdoba in context: Aggregate street-network sprawl

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Córdoba is Villa Carlos Paz with an SNDi of 2.43, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness. Conversely, the most connected city is San Francisco with an SNDi of 0.04, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: San Francisco, Villa Carlos Paz

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Córdoba rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Córdoba, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Cordoba, Río Cuarto and Villa María. Disconnectivity in the most populous cities in Córdoba follow the same region trend.

To date, Córdoba is the 14th-most disconnected out of the 23 regions in Argentina. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Argentina, the street network in Córdoba has become more disconnected. Córdoba ranked 16th in 1975, 13th in 1976-1990, 13th in 1991-2000 and 14th in 2001-2014.

Cities in Córdoba

• Villa Carlos Paz
• Cordoba
• Río Cuarto
• Villa María
• San Francisco