Street-network Sprawl in Belo Horizonte, 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.

Belo Horizonte: city in Minas Gerais, 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 Belo Horizonte, Brazil on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Belo Horizonte as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.69, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.18, 2.37, 3.52 and 3.87. In each period, new street development in Belo Horizonte steadily grows more disconnected than in the last. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 1.19 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.35.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Belo Horizonte spans a total of 8690 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.18, 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 1.18, 1.54, 1.65 and 1.69. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Belo Horizonte has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.36 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.04.

Belo Horizonte and Minas Gerais 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 Belo Horizonte fare in comparison to others in Minas Gerais? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Belo Horizonte was the 13th-most disconnected out of the 47 cities in Minas Gerais. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Minas Gerais, street construction in Belo Horizonte has become more disconnected. Belo Horizonte ranked 25th in 1975, 17th in 1976-1990, 14th in 1991-2000 and 13th in 2001-2014.

Belo Horizonte 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 Belo Horizonte fare in comparison to others in Brazil? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Belo Horizonte was the 112th-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 Belo Horizonte has become more disconnected. Belo Horizonte ranked 157th in 1975, 87th in 1976-1990, 94th in 1991-2000 and 112th in 2001-2014.

Belo Horizonte and Minas Gerais follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

To date, Belo Horizonte is the 24th-most disconnected out of the 47 cities in Minas Gerais. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Minas Gerais, the street network in Belo Horizonte has become more disconnected. Belo Horizonte ranked 25th in 1975, 25th in 1976-1990, 24th in 1991-2000 and 24th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Belo Horizonte is the 150th-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 Belo Horizonte has become more disconnected. Belo Horizonte ranked 157th in 1975, 148th in 1976-1990, 147th in 1991-2000 and 150th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Belo Horizonte had a built-up area of 392.45 square kilometers, and a population of 4038591 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.