Street-network Sprawl in Azerbaijan

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.

Azerbaijan

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 Azerbaijan on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Azerbaijan as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 4.86, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 5.03, 4.73, 4.77 and 4.83. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Azerbaijan fell, then rose. In 1976-1990, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Azerbaijan spans a total of 42815 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 4.73, which is highly disconnected.

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 5.03, 4.86, 4.85 and 4.86. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Azerbaijan has worsened in disconnectivity since 2000.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Azerbaijan was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Azerbaijan, we can consider three of its most populous regions: Absheron, Aran and Ganja-Qazakh. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Absheron peaked in 1991-2000. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Aran followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Ganja-Qazakh peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Azerbaijan fare in comparison to others in the world? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Azerbaijan was the 58th-most disconnected out of the 155 countries in the world. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other countries in the world, street construction in Azerbaijan has become more connected. Azerbaijan ranked 12th in 1975, 33rd in 1976-1990, 56th in 1991-2000 and 58th in 2001-2014.

The largest city in Azerbaijan is Baku, with a population of 1961500 people. Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Baku as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 4.56, which is highly disconnected. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Baku rose steadily.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Azerbaijan is Masallı with an SNDi of 5.07, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Ganja with an SNDi of 1.57, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Ganja, Masallı

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Azerbaijan was at its lowest in 1991-2000. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Azerbaijan, we can consider three of its most populous regions: Absheron, Aran and Ganja-Qazakh. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Absheron followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Aran followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Ganja-Qazakh rose steadily.

To date, Azerbaijan is the 30th-most disconnected out of the 155 countries in the world. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other countries in the world, the street network in Azerbaijan has become more connected. Azerbaijan ranked 12th in 1975, 23rd in 1976-1990, 28th in 1991-2000 and 30th in 2001-2014.

The largest city in Azerbaijan is Baku, with a population of 1961500 people. Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Baku as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 4.56, which is highly disconnected. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Baku rose steadily.