Street-network Sprawl in Nana-Mambéré, Central African Republic

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.

Nana-Mambéré: region in Central African Republic

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 Nana-Mambéré, Central African Republic on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Nana-Mambéré as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 4.28, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 4.1, 3.49, 5.44 and 4.49. Disconnectivity in street construction in Nana-Mambéré follows a zig-zag trend. In 1976-1990, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1991-2000.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Nana-Mambéré spans a total of 1861 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 4.49, which is highly disconnected.

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 4.1, 3.81, 4.1 and 4.28. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Nana-Mambéré has worsened in disconnectivity since 1990.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Nana-Mambéré followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Nana-Mambéré, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Bouar. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Bouar peaked in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Nana-Mambéré fare in comparison to others in Central African Republic? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Nana-Mambéré was the 4th-most disconnected out of the 6 regions in Central African Republic. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Central African Republic, street construction in Nana-Mambéré has become more connected. Nana-Mambéré ranked 2nd in 1975, 4th in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Nana-Mambéré is Bouar with an SNDi of 1.87, which is relatively well-connected. Conversely, the most connected city is Bouar with an SNDi of 1.87, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Bouar, Bouar

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Nana-Mambéré was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Nana-Mambéré, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Bouar. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Bouar rose steadily.

To date, Nana-Mambéré is the 3rd-most disconnected out of the 6 regions in Central African Republic. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Central African Republic, the street network in Nana-Mambéré has become more connected. Nana-Mambéré ranked 2nd in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 3rd in 1991-2000 and 3rd in 2001-2014.