Street-network Sprawl in Tumbes, 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.

Tumbes: region in Ecuador

View Tumbes, Ecuador on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Tumbes as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.0, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.9, nan, 6.15 and 2.8. Data was not available in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Tumbes spans a total of 899 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.9, 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 1.9, 1.9, 1.94 and 2.0. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Tumbes has become more disconnected.

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

How do development practices in Tumbes fare in comparison to others in Ecuador? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Tumbes was the 10th-most disconnected out of the 18 regions in Ecuador. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Ecuador, street construction in Tumbes has become more connected. Tumbes ranked 10th in 1975, 3rd in 1991-2000 and 10th 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 Tumbes is Zarumilla with an SNDi of 0.2, which is very well-connected. Conversely, the most connected city is Zarumilla with an SNDi of 0.2, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: Zarumilla, Zarumilla

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

To date, Tumbes is the 11th-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 Tumbes has become more connected. Tumbes ranked 10th in 1975, 10th in 1976-1990, 11th in 1991-2000 and 11th in 2001-2014.