Street-network Sprawl in Rio Grande do Norte, 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.

Rio Grande do Norte: region in 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 Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Rio Grande do Norte as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.19, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.88, nan, 3.08 and 3.13. Data was not available in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Rio Grande do Norte spans a total of 14480 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.88, 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 1.88, 1.88, 2.07 and 2.19. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Rio Grande do Norte has become more disconnected.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Rio Grande do Norte followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Rio Grande do Norte, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Natal, Potengi and Mossoró. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Natal followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Potengi followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Mossoró followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase.

How do development practices in Rio Grande do Norte fare in comparison to others in Brazil? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Rio Grande do Norte was the 20th-most disconnected out of the 29 regions in Brazil. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Brazil, street construction in Rio Grande do Norte has become more connected. Rio Grande do Norte ranked 16th in 1975, 15th in 1991-2000 and 20th in 2001-2014. There was no ranking in 1976-1990 due to unavailable data.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Rio Grande do Norte is Potengi with an SNDi of 1.36, which is relatively well-connected. Conversely, the most connected city is Parnamirim with an SNDi of 0.91, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Parnamirim, Potengi

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Rio Grande do Norte rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Rio Grande do Norte, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Natal, Potengi and Mossoró. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Natal rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Potengi followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Mossoró rose steadily.

To date, Rio Grande do Norte is the 19th-most disconnected out of the 29 regions in Brazil. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Brazil, the street network in Rio Grande do Norte has become more connected. Rio Grande do Norte ranked 16th in 1975, 18th in 1976-1990, 17th in 1991-2000 and 19th in 2001-2014.