Street-network Sprawl in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

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.

Tierra del Fuego: 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 Tierra del Fuego, Argentina on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Tierra del Fuego as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.24, which is very well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.0, nan, 0.45 and 0.15. Data was not available in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Tierra del Fuego spans a total of 30 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 0.0, 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 0.0, 0.0, 0.29 and 0.24. Disconnectivity in Tierra del Fuego's street network follows a zig-zag trend. In 1975, the region was most disconnected; while it was most connected in 1991-2000.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Tierra del Fuego followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Tierra del Fuego, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Rio Grande. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Rio Grande followed a zig-zag trend.

How do development practices in Tierra del Fuego fare in comparison to others in Argentina? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Tierra del Fuego was the 23rd-most disconnected out of the 23 regions in Argentina. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Argentina, street construction in Tierra del Fuego has become more connected. Tierra del Fuego ranked 18th in 1975, 22nd in 1991-2000 and 23rd in 2001-2014. There was no ranking in 1976-1990 due to unavailable data.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Tierra del Fuego is Rio Grande with an SNDi of -0.1, which is very well-connected. Conversely, the most connected city is Rio Grande with an SNDi of -0.1, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: Rio Grande, Rio Grande

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Tierra del Fuego followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Tierra del Fuego, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Rio Grande. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Rio Grande followed a zig-zag trend.

To date, Tierra del Fuego is the 22nd-most disconnected out of the 23 regions in Argentina. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Argentina, the street network in Tierra del Fuego has become more connected. Tierra del Fuego ranked 18th in 1975, 22nd in 1976-1990, 21st in 1991-2000 and 22nd in 2001-2014.