Street-network Sprawl in Antwerp, Belgium

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.

Antwerp: city in Vlaanderen, Belgium

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 Antwerp, Belgium on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Antwerp as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.23, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.01, 2.48, 2.36 and 2.79. Disconnectivity in street construction in Antwerp follows a zig-zag trend. In 1975, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 2001-2014.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Antwerp spans a total of 2913 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.01, 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 1.01, 1.18, 1.2 and 1.23. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Antwerp has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.16 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.03.

Antwerp and Vlaanderen do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Antwerp followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Vlaanderen rose steadily.

How do development practices in Antwerp fare in comparison to others in Vlaanderen? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Antwerp was the 6th-most disconnected out of the 8 cities in Vlaanderen. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Antwerp ranked 6th in 1975, 6th in 1976-1990, 8th in 1991-2000 and 6th in 2001-2014.

Antwerp and Belgium do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Antwerp followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Belgium rose steadily.

How do development practices in Antwerp fare in comparison to others in Belgium? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Antwerp was the 8th-most disconnected out of the 12 cities in Belgium. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Belgium, street construction in Antwerp has become more disconnected. Antwerp ranked 9th in 1975, 9th in 1976-1990, 11th in 1991-2000 and 8th in 2001-2014.

Antwerp and Vlaanderen follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

To date, Antwerp is the 5th-most disconnected out of the 8 cities in Vlaanderen. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Vlaanderen, the street network in Antwerp has become more disconnected. Antwerp ranked 6th in 1975, 5th in 1976-1990, 5th in 1991-2000 and 5th in 2001-2014.

Antwerp and Belgium follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

To date, Antwerp is the 8th-most disconnected out of the 12 cities in Belgium. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Belgium, the street network in Antwerp has become more disconnected. Antwerp ranked 9th in 1975, 8th in 1976-1990, 8th in 1991-2000 and 8th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Antwerp had a built-up area of 215.04 square kilometers, and a population of 792029 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population:

For some related information about population, urban extent and density, and roads, visit the Atlas of Urban Expansion.