Puntarenas: region in Costa Rica
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 Puntarenas, Costa Rica on the sprawlmap
Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Puntarenas as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 4.19, which is highly disconnected.
Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 3.1, 3.74, 5.2 and 5.9. In each period, new street development in Puntarenas steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.
Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Puntarenas spans a total of 2900 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 3.74, 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 3.1, 3.45, 3.81 and 4.19. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Puntarenas has become more disconnected.
The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Puntarenas rose steadily. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Puntarenas, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Barranca. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Barranca was at its lowest in 1976-1990.
How do development practices in Puntarenas fare in comparison to others in Costa Rica? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Puntarenas was the 3rd-most disconnected out of the 3 regions in Costa Rica. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Puntarenas ranked 3rd in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 3rd in 1991-2000 and 3rd in 2001-2014.
As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Puntarenas is Barranca with an SNDi of 2.74, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness. Conversely, the most connected city is Barranca with an SNDi of 2.74, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness. See trends for these cities: Barranca, Barranca
The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Puntarenas rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Puntarenas, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Barranca. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Barranca was at its lowest in 1976-1990.
To date, Puntarenas is the 3rd-most disconnected out of the 3 regions in Costa Rica. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Puntarenas ranked 3rd in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 3rd in 1991-2000 and 3rd in 2001-2014.