Street-network Sprawl in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire

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.

Yamoussoukro: city in Côte d'Ivoire

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 Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Yamoussoukro as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.5, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are -0.0, 0.45, 0.51 and 4.35. In each period, new street development in Yamoussoukro steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Yamoussoukro spans a total of 254 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 0.45, 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 -0.0, 0.39, 0.39 and 0.5. Disconnectivity in Yamoussoukro's street network follows a zig-zag trend. In 1975, the city was most disconnected; while it was most connected in 2001-2014.

Yamoussoukro and Yamoussoukro follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

How do development practices in Yamoussoukro fare in comparison to others in Yamoussoukro? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Yamoussoukro was the 1st-most disconnected out of the 1 cities in Yamoussoukro. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Yamoussoukro ranked 1st in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

Yamoussoukro and Côte d'Ivoire follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

How do development practices in Yamoussoukro fare in comparison to others in Côte d'Ivoire? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Yamoussoukro was the 10th-most disconnected out of the 34 cities in Côte d'Ivoire. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Côte d'Ivoire, street construction in Yamoussoukro has become more disconnected. Yamoussoukro ranked 28th in 1975, 15th in 1976-1990, 24th in 1991-2000 and 10th in 2001-2014.

Yamoussoukro and Yamoussoukro do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Yamoussoukro followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Yamoussoukro rose steadily.

To date, Yamoussoukro is the 1st-most disconnected out of the 1 cities in Yamoussoukro. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Yamoussoukro ranked 1st in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

Yamoussoukro and Côte d'Ivoire do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Yamoussoukro followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Côte d'Ivoire rose steadily.

To date, Yamoussoukro is the 32nd-most disconnected out of the 34 cities in Côte d'Ivoire. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Côte d'Ivoire, the street network in Yamoussoukro has become more connected. Yamoussoukro ranked 28th in 1975, 30th in 1976-1990, 32nd in 1991-2000 and 32nd in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Yamoussoukro had a built-up area of 16.72 square kilometers, and a population of 218119 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: