Street-network Sprawl in Balneário Camboriú, 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.

Balneário Camboriú: city in Santa Catarina, 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 Balneário Camboriú, Brazil on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Balneário Camboriú as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.3, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.4, 3.43, 2.9 and 5.12. Disconnectivity in street construction in Balneário Camboriú 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 Balneário Camboriú spans a total of 503 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.4, 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 1.4, 2.12, 2.15 and 2.3. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Balneário Camboriú has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.72 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.15.

Balneário Camboriú and Santa Catarina do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Balneário Camboriú followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Santa Catarina rose steadily.

How do development practices in Balneário Camboriú fare in comparison to others in Santa Catarina? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Balneário Camboriú was the 5th-most disconnected out of the 12 cities in Santa Catarina. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Santa Catarina, street construction in Balneário Camboriú has become more disconnected. Balneário Camboriú ranked 10th in 1975, 5th in 1976-1990, 11th in 1991-2000 and 5th in 2001-2014.

Balneário Camboriú and Brazil do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Balneário Camboriú followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Brazil rose steadily.

How do development practices in Balneário Camboriú fare in comparison to others in Brazil? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Balneário Camboriú was the 60th-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 Balneário Camboriú has become more disconnected. Balneário Camboriú ranked 132nd in 1975, 47th in 1976-1990, 125th in 1991-2000 and 60th in 2001-2014.

Balneário Camboriú and Santa Catarina follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

To date, Balneário Camboriú is the 9th-most disconnected out of the 12 cities in Santa Catarina. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Santa Catarina, the street network in Balneário Camboriú has become more disconnected. Balneário Camboriú ranked 10th in 1975, 9th in 1976-1990, 9th in 1991-2000 and 9th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Balneário Camboriú is the 101st-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 Balneário Camboriú has become more disconnected. Balneário Camboriú ranked 132nd in 1975, 99th in 1976-1990, 104th in 1991-2000 and 101st in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Balneário Camboriú had a built-up area of 18.36 square kilometers, and a population of 193921 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: