Street-network Sprawl in Bolivia

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.

Bolivia

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 Bolivia on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Bolivia as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.01, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 2.12, 1.89, 1.88 and 2.06. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Bolivia fell, then rose. In 1991-2000, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Bolivia spans a total of 54829 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 2.12, 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 2.12, 2.03, 1.99 and 2.01. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Bolivia has worsened in disconnectivity since 2000.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Bolivia was at its lowest in 1991-2000. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Bolivia, we can consider three of its most populous regions: La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in La Paz followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Santa Cruz rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Cochabamba was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Bolivia fare in comparison to others in the world? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Bolivia was the 149th-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 Bolivia has become more connected. Bolivia ranked 109th in 1975, 132nd in 1976-1990, 149th in 1991-2000 and 149th in 2001-2014.

The largest city in Bolivia is El Alto [La Paz], with a population of 1699500 people. Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in El Alto [La Paz] as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.87, which is relatively well-connected. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in El Alto [La Paz] followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Bolivia is Cobija with an SNDi of 1.85, which is relatively well-connected. Conversely, the most connected city is Montero with an SNDi of 0.11, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: Montero, Cobija

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Bolivia was at its lowest in 1991-2000. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Bolivia, we can consider three of its most populous regions: La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in La Paz fell steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Santa Cruz rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Cochabamba was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, Bolivia is the 135th-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 Bolivia has become more connected. Bolivia ranked 109th in 1975, 126th in 1976-1990, 133rd in 1991-2000 and 135th in 2001-2014.

The largest city in Bolivia is El Alto [La Paz], with a population of 1699500 people. Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in El Alto [La Paz] as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.87, which is relatively well-connected. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in El Alto [La Paz] fell steadily.