Street-network Sprawl in Al Fayyum, Egypt

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.

Al Fayyum: region in Egypt

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 Al Fayyum, Egypt on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Al Fayyum as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.27, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 3.18, 2.94, 7.89 and 4.19. Disconnectivity in street construction in Al Fayyum follows a zig-zag trend. In 1976-1990, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1991-2000.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Al Fayyum spans a total of 2107 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 3.18, 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 3.18, 3.15, 3.31 and 3.27. Disconnectivity in Al Fayyum's street network follows a zig-zag trend. In 1976-1990, the region was most disconnected; while it was most connected in 1991-2000.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Al Fayyum followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Al Fayyum, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Faiyum, Sinnuris and Kahk al Qibliya. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Faiyum was at its lowest in 1976-1990. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Sinnuris followed a zig-zag trend. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Kahk al Qibliya followed a zig-zag trend.

How do development practices in Al Fayyum fare in comparison to others in Egypt? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Al Fayyum was the 14th-most disconnected out of the 25 regions in Egypt. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Egypt, street construction in Al Fayyum has become more connected. Al Fayyum ranked 11th in 1975, 20th in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 14th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Al Fayyum is Kahk al Qibliya with an SNDi of 3.75, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Atsa with an SNDi of -1.18, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: Atsa, Kahk al Qibliya

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Al Fayyum followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Al Fayyum, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Faiyum, Sinnuris and Kahk al Qibliya. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Faiyum was at its lowest in 1976-1990. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Sinnuris rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Kahk al Qibliya rose steadily.

To date, Al Fayyum is the 13th-most disconnected out of the 25 regions in Egypt. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Egypt, the street network in Al Fayyum has become more connected. Al Fayyum ranked 11th in 1975, 12th in 1976-1990, 13th in 1991-2000 and 13th in 2001-2014.