Street-network Sprawl in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest, Chad

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.

Mayo-Kebbi Ouest: region in Chad

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 Mayo-Kebbi Ouest, Chad on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 4.49, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are nan, 3.77, 4.56 and nan. Data was not available in 1975 and 2001-2014.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest spans a total of 802 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of nan, 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 nan, 3.84, 3.85 and 4.49. Data was not available in 1975.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest followed a zig-zag trend. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Pala and Lere. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Pala followed a zig-zag trend. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Lere followed a zig-zag trend.

How do development practices in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest fare in comparison to others in Chad? out of the 17 regions in Chad. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Chad, street construction in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest has become more disconnected. Mayo-Kebbi Ouest ranked 6th in 1976-1990 and 5th in 1991-2000. There was no ranking in 1975 and 2001-2014 due to unavailable data.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest is Pala with an SNDi of 4.11, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Lere with an SNDi of 0.54, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Lere, Pala

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest followed a zig-zag trend. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Pala and Lere. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Pala followed a zig-zag trend. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Lere followed a zig-zag trend.

To date, Mayo-Kebbi Ouest is the 2nd-most disconnected out of the 17 regions in Chad. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Chad, the street network in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest has become more disconnected. Mayo-Kebbi Ouest ranked 6th in 1976-1990, 6th in 1991-2000 and 2nd in 2001-2014. There was no ranking in 1975 due to unavailable data.