Street-network Sprawl in Caquetá, Colombia

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.

Caquetá: region in Colombia

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 Caquetá, Colombia on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Caquetá as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 5.03, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 4.36, nan, 6.33 and nan. Data was not available in 1976-1990 and 2001-2014.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Caquetá spans a total of 2256 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 4.36, 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 4.36, 4.36, 4.96 and 5.03. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Caquetá has become more disconnected.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Caquetá followed a zig-zag trend. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Caquetá, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Florencia and San Vicente del Caguán. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Florencia followed a zig-zag trend. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in San Vicente del Caguán followed a zig-zag trend.

How do development practices in Caquetá fare in comparison to others in Colombia? out of the 28 regions in Colombia. Caquetá ranked 4th in 1975 and 5th in 1991-2000. There was no ranking in 1976-1990 and 2001-2014 due to unavailable data.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Caquetá is San Vicente del Caguán with an SNDi of 7.08, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Florencia with an SNDi of 2.72, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness. See trends for these cities: Florencia, San Vicente del Caguán

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Caquetá rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Caquetá, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Florencia and San Vicente del Caguán. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Florencia rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in San Vicente del Caguán rose steadily.

To date, Caquetá is the 3rd-most disconnected out of the 28 regions in Colombia. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Colombia, the street network in Caquetá has become more disconnected. Caquetá ranked 4th in 1975, 4th in 1976-1990, 3rd in 1991-2000 and 3rd in 2001-2014.