Street-network Sprawl in Cascades, Burkina Faso

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.

Cascades: region in Burkina Faso

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 Cascades, Burkina Faso on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Cascades as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.17, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are -0.09, 1.71, 1.01 and 1.35. Disconnectivity in street construction in Cascades follows a zig-zag trend. In 1975, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Cascades spans a total of 1947 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 1.35, 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 -0.09, 0.95, 0.98 and 1.17. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Cascades has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 1.04 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.19.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Cascades followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Cascades, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Banfora, Sidéradougou and Niangoloko. Out of the three cities, Banfora and Sidéradougou do not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Banfora peaked in 1991-2000. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Sidéradougou followed a zig-zag trend.

How do development practices in Cascades fare in comparison to others in Burkina Faso? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Cascades was the 11th-most disconnected out of the 13 regions in Burkina Faso. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Burkina Faso, street construction in Cascades has become more connected. Cascades ranked 9th in 1975, 6th in 1976-1990, 12th in 1991-2000 and 11th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Cascades is Sidéradougou with an SNDi of 2.64, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness. Conversely, the most connected city is Niangoloko with an SNDi of -0.87, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: Niangoloko, Sidéradougou

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Cascades rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Cascades, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Banfora, Sidéradougou and Niangoloko. Out of the three cities, Sidéradougou does not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Sidéradougou followed a zig-zag trend.

To date, Cascades is the 11th-most disconnected out of the 13 regions in Burkina Faso. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Burkina Faso, the street network in Cascades has become more connected. Cascades ranked 9th in 1975, 8th in 1976-1990, 9th in 1991-2000 and 11th in 2001-2014.