Street-network Sprawl in Bosnia and Herzegovina


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.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

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 Bosnia and Herzegovina on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Bosnia and Herzegovina as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 5.11, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 4.24, 5.72, 5.55 and 6.15. Disconnectivity in street construction in Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina spans a total of 27495 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 5.72, 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 4.24, 5.01, 5.04 and 5.11. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Bosnia and Herzegovina has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.77 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.07.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Bosnia and Herzegovina followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we can consider two of its most populous regions: Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina and Repuplika Srpska. Out of the two regions, Repuplika Srpska does not follow the same trend as the country. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Repuplika Srpska rose steadily.

How do development practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina fare in comparison to others in the world? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Bosnia and Herzegovina was the 26th-most disconnected out of the 155 countries in the world. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other countries in the world, street construction in Bosnia and Herzegovina has become more disconnected. Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked 31st in 1975, 12th in 1976-1990, 34th in 1991-2000 and 26th in 2001-2014.

The largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina is Sarajevo, with a population of 371900 people. Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Sarajevo as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.71, which is highly disconnected. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Sarajevo peaked in 1991-2000.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Bosnia and Herzegovina is Mostar with an SNDi of 4.92, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Tuzla with an SNDi of 2.55, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness. See trends for these cities: Tuzla, Mostar

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Bosnia and Herzegovina rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we can consider two of its most populous regions: Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina and Repuplika Srpska. Disconnectivity in the most populous cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina follow the same country trend.

To date, Bosnia and Herzegovina is the 23rd-most disconnected out of the 155 countries in the world. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other countries in the world, the street network in Bosnia and Herzegovina has become more disconnected. Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked 31st in 1975, 17th in 1976-1990, 19th in 1991-2000 and 23rd in 2001-2014.

The largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina is Sarajevo, with a population of 371900 people. Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Sarajevo as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.71, which is highly disconnected. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Sarajevo rose steadily.