Street-network Sprawl in Zanzan, 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.

Zanzan: region 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 Zanzan, Côte d'Ivoire on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Zanzan as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.45, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.58, 2.57, 4.17 and 3.29. Street construction in Zanzan increased in disconnectivity initially but has since improved. The streets constructed in 1991-2000 were the most disconnected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Zanzan spans a total of 5602 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 3.29, 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 1.58, 1.95, 2.15 and 2.45. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Zanzan has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.36 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.3.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Zanzan peaked in 1991-2000. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Zanzan, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Bondoukou and Bouna. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Bondoukou rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Bouna followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase.

How do development practices in Zanzan fare in comparison to others in Côte d'Ivoire? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Zanzan was the 12th-most disconnected out of the 12 regions in Côte d'Ivoire. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Côte d'Ivoire, street construction in Zanzan has become more connected. Zanzan ranked 9th in 1975, 6th in 1976-1990, 6th in 1991-2000 and 12th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Zanzan is Bondoukou with an SNDi of 1.62, which is relatively well-connected. Conversely, the most connected city is Bouna with an SNDi of 0.99, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Bouna, Bondoukou

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Zanzan rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Zanzan, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Bondoukou and Bouna. Out of the two cities, Bouna does not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Bouna was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, Zanzan is the 10th-most disconnected out of the 12 regions in Côte d'Ivoire. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Côte d'Ivoire, the street network in Zanzan has become more connected. Zanzan ranked 9th in 1975, 11th in 1976-1990, 10th in 1991-2000 and 10th in 2001-2014.