Street-network Sprawl in Manta, 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.

Manta: city in Manabi, 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 Manta, Ecuador on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Manta as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.67, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.59, nan, 2.91 and 2.43. Data was not available in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Manta spans a total of 830 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.59, 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 1.59, 1.59, 1.6 and 1.67. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Manta has become more disconnected.

Manta and Manabi do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. There was not enough data from the city, as well as the Manabi's street network construction.

How do development practices in Manta fare in comparison to others in Manabi? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Manta was the 3rd-most disconnected out of the 4 cities in Manabi. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Manabi, street construction in Manta has become more connected. Manta ranked 3rd in 1975, 1st in 1991-2000 and 3rd in 2001-2014. There was no ranking in 1976-1990 due to unavailable data.

Manta and Ecuador do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. There was not enough data from the city, as well as the Ecuador's street network construction.

How do development practices in Manta fare in comparison to others in Ecuador? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Manta was the 9th-most disconnected out of the 31 cities in Ecuador. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Ecuador, street construction in Manta has become more disconnected. Manta ranked 11th in 1975, 10th in 1991-2000 and 9th in 2001-2014. There was no ranking in 1976-1990 due to unavailable data.

Manta and Manabi do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Manta rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Manabi rose steadily.

To date, Manta is the 4th-most disconnected out of the 4 cities in Manabi. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Manabi, the street network in Manta has become more connected. Manta ranked 3rd in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 4th in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014.

Manta and Ecuador do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Manta rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Ecuador rose steadily.

To date, Manta is the 13th-most disconnected out of the 31 cities in Ecuador. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Ecuador, the street network in Manta has become more connected. Manta ranked 11th in 1975, 11th in 1976-1990, 12th in 1991-2000 and 13th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Manta had a built-up area of 25.9 square kilometers, and a population of 266753 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: