Street-network Sprawl in São Sebastião do Paraíso, 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.

São Sebastião do Paraíso: 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 São Sebastião do Paraíso, Brazil on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in São Sebastião do Paraíso as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.59, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.27, 0.73, 0.77 and 0.53. Street construction in São Sebastião do Paraíso increased in disconnectivity initially but has since improved. The streets constructed in 1991-2000 were the most disconnected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in São Sebastião do Paraíso spans a total of 290 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 0.73, 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 0.27, 0.54, 0.59 and 0.59. The aggregate street network in São Sebastião do Paraíso increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 2000.

São Sebastião do Paraíso and Minas Gerais do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in São Sebastião do Paraíso peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Minas Gerais rose steadily.

How do development practices in São Sebastião do Paraíso fare in comparison to others in Minas Gerais? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in São Sebastião do Paraíso was the 42nd-most disconnected out of the 47 cities in Minas Gerais. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Minas Gerais, street construction in São Sebastião do Paraíso has become more connected. São Sebastião do Paraíso ranked 32nd in 1975, 35th in 1976-1990, 42nd in 1991-2000 and 42nd in 2001-2014.

São Sebastião do Paraíso and Brazil do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in São Sebastião do Paraíso peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Brazil rose steadily.

How do development practices in São Sebastião do Paraíso fare in comparison to others in Brazil? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in São Sebastião do Paraíso was the 314th-most disconnected out of the 348 cities in Brazil. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Brazil, street construction in São Sebastião do Paraíso has become more connected. São Sebastião do Paraíso ranked 265th in 1975, 185th in 1976-1990, 281st in 1991-2000 and 314th in 2001-2014.

São Sebastião do Paraíso and Minas Gerais do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in São Sebastião do Paraíso peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Minas Gerais rose steadily.

To date, São Sebastião do Paraíso is the 37th-most disconnected out of the 47 cities in Minas Gerais. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Minas Gerais, the street network in São Sebastião do Paraíso has become more connected. São Sebastião do Paraíso ranked 32nd in 1975, 35th in 1976-1990, 36th in 1991-2000 and 37th in 2001-2014.

São Sebastião do Paraíso and Brazil do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in São Sebastião do Paraíso peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Brazil rose steadily.

To date, São Sebastião do Paraíso is the 275th-most disconnected out of the 348 cities in Brazil. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Brazil, the street network in São Sebastião do Paraíso has become more connected. São Sebastião do Paraíso ranked 265th in 1975, 266th in 1976-1990, 268th in 1991-2000 and 275th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, São Sebastião do Paraíso had a built-up area of 3.33 square kilometers, and a population of 58039 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: