Street-network Sprawl in Guelph, Canada

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.

Guelph: city in Ontario, Canada

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 Guelph, Canada on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Guelph as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.34, 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 2.17, 3.35, 2.94 and 1.69. Street construction in Guelph increased in disconnectivity initially but has since improved. The streets constructed in 1976-1990 were the most disconnected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Guelph spans a total of 511 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 2.17, 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 2.17, 2.33, 2.39 and 2.34. The aggregate street network in Guelph increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 2000.

Guelph and Ontario do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Guelph peaked in 1976-1990, while the SNDi of street constructions in Ontario peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Guelph fare in comparison to others in Ontario? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Guelph was the 15th-most disconnected out of the 20 cities in Ontario. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Ontario, street construction in Guelph has become more connected. Guelph ranked 5th in 1975, 6th in 1976-1990, 10th in 1991-2000 and 15th in 2001-2014.

Guelph and Canada do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Guelph peaked in 1976-1990, while the SNDi of street constructions in Canada rose steadily.

How do development practices in Guelph fare in comparison to others in Canada? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Guelph was the 42nd-most disconnected out of the 48 cities in Canada. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Canada, street construction in Guelph has become more connected. Guelph ranked 16th in 1975, 14th in 1976-1990, 32nd in 1991-2000 and 42nd in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Guelph is the 5th-most disconnected out of the 20 cities in Ontario. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Guelph ranked 5th in 1975, 4th in 1976-1990, 4th in 1991-2000 and 5th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Guelph is the 21st-most disconnected out of the 48 cities in Canada. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Canada, the street network in Guelph has become more connected. Guelph ranked 16th in 1975, 16th in 1976-1990, 16th in 1991-2000 and 21st in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Guelph had a built-up area of 32.88 square kilometers, and a population of 105741 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: