Street-network Sprawl in Itapetinga, Brazil

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.

Itapetinga: city in Bahia, Brazil

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 Itapetinga, Brazil on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Itapetinga as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.27, which is very well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are -0.39, -0.07, 0.45 and 2.53. In each period, new street development in Itapetinga steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Itapetinga spans a total of 182 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of -0.07, 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 -0.39, -0.12, -0.06 and 0.27. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Itapetinga has become more disconnected.

Itapetinga and Bahia do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Itapetinga rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Bahia was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Itapetinga fare in comparison to others in Bahia? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Itapetinga was the 14th-most disconnected out of the 21 cities in Bahia. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Bahia, street construction in Itapetinga has become more disconnected. Itapetinga ranked 21st in 1975, 8th in 1976-1990, 19th in 1991-2000 and 14th in 2001-2014.

Itapetinga and Brazil follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

How do development practices in Itapetinga fare in comparison to others in Brazil? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Itapetinga was the 186th-most disconnected out of the 348 cities in Brazil. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Brazil, street construction in Itapetinga has become more disconnected. Itapetinga ranked 332nd in 1975, 232nd in 1976-1990, 315th in 1991-2000 and 186th in 2001-2014.

Itapetinga and Bahia do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Itapetinga rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Bahia was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, Itapetinga is the 20th-most disconnected out of the 21 cities in Bahia. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Bahia, the street network in Itapetinga has become more disconnected. Itapetinga ranked 21st in 1975, 20th in 1976-1990, 20th in 1991-2000 and 20th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Itapetinga is the 322nd-most disconnected out of the 348 cities in Brazil. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Brazil, the street network in Itapetinga has become more disconnected. Itapetinga ranked 332nd in 1975, 336th in 1976-1990, 338th in 1991-2000 and 322nd in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Itapetinga had a built-up area of 3.58 square kilometers, and a population of 62574 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: