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

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Al Uqsur as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.35, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 3.22, 3.02, 5.26 and 5.61. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Al Uqsur fell, then rose. In 1976-1990, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Al Uqsur spans a total of 1080 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 3.22, 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 3.22, 3.2, 3.23 and 3.35. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Al Uqsur has worsened in disconnectivity since 1990.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Al Uqsur was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Al Uqsur, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Luxor, Naj al Madamud and Ezbet Abu Habashi. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Luxor followed a zig-zag trend. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Naj al Madamud rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Ezbet Abu Habashi followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease.

How do development practices in Al Uqsur fare in comparison to others in Egypt? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Al Uqsur was the 6th-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 Uqsur has become more disconnected. Al Uqsur ranked 10th in 1975, 19th in 1976-1990, 6th in 1991-2000 and 6th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Al Uqsur is Al Saaida with an SNDi of 6.47, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Hod al Salmiya al Qibli al Gharbi with an SNDi of 1.28, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Hod al Salmiya al Qibli al Gharbi, Al Saaida

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Al Uqsur was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Al Uqsur, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Luxor, Naj al Madamud and Ezbet Abu Habashi. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Luxor rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Naj al Madamud rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Ezbet Abu Habashi was at its lowest in 1991-2000.

To date, Al Uqsur is the 12th-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 Uqsur has become more connected. Al Uqsur ranked 10th in 1975, 11th in 1976-1990, 14th in 1991-2000 and 12th in 2001-2014.