Street-network Sprawl in Al Qahirah, 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 Qahirah: 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 Qahirah, Egypt on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Al Qahirah as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.79, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.18, 1.57, 2.3 and 2.71. In each period, new street development in Al Qahirah steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Al Qahirah spans a total of 9687 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 2.71, 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 1.18, 1.32, 1.4 and 1.79. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Al Qahirah has become more disconnected.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Al Qahirah rose steadily. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Al Qahirah, we can consider one of its most populous cities: El Showeifat District. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in El Showeifat District followed a zig-zag trend.

How do development practices in Al Qahirah fare in comparison to others in Egypt? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Al Qahirah was the 20th-most disconnected out of the 25 regions in Egypt. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Egypt, street construction in Al Qahirah has become more disconnected. Al Qahirah ranked 25th in 1975, 23rd in 1976-1990, 23rd in 1991-2000 and 20th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Al Qahirah is El Showeifat District with an SNDi of 2.33, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness. Conversely, the most connected city is El Showeifat District with an SNDi of 2.33, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness. See trends for these cities: El Showeifat District, El Showeifat District

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Al Qahirah rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Al Qahirah, we can consider one of its most populous cities: El Showeifat District. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in El Showeifat District followed a zig-zag trend.

To date, Al Qahirah is the 25th-most disconnected out of the 25 regions in Egypt. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Al Qahirah ranked 25th in 1975, 24th in 1976-1990, 25th in 1991-2000 and 25th in 2001-2014.