Street-network Sprawl in Cotopaxi, Ecuador

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.

Cotopaxi: region in Ecuador

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 Cotopaxi, Ecuador on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Cotopaxi as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.54, 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 2.38, nan, 2.66 and 4.87. Data was not available in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Cotopaxi spans a total of 3177 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 2.38, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness.

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 2.38, 2.38, 2.39 and 2.54. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Cotopaxi has become more disconnected.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Cotopaxi followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Cotopaxi, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Latacunga. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Latacunga followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase.

How do development practices in Cotopaxi fare in comparison to others in Ecuador? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Cotopaxi was the 4th-most disconnected out of the 18 regions in Ecuador. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Ecuador, street construction in Cotopaxi has become more disconnected. Cotopaxi ranked 6th in 1975, 13th in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014. There was no ranking in 1976-1990 due to unavailable data.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Cotopaxi is Latacunga with an SNDi of 1.88, which is relatively well-connected. Conversely, the most connected city is Latacunga with an SNDi of 1.88, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Latacunga, Latacunga

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Cotopaxi rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Cotopaxi, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Latacunga. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Latacunga rose steadily.

To date, Cotopaxi is the 7th-most disconnected out of the 18 regions in Ecuador. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Ecuador, the street network in Cotopaxi has become more connected. Cotopaxi ranked 6th in 1975, 6th in 1976-1990, 8th in 1991-2000 and 7th in 2001-2014.