Street-network Sprawl in Bur Sa`id, 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.

Bur Sa`id: 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 Bur Sa`id, Egypt on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Bur Sa`id as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.19, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 2.13, 5.91, 5.57 and 1.52. Street construction in Bur Sa`id increased in disconnectivity initially but has since improved. The streets constructed in 1976-1990 were the most disconnected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Bur Sa`id spans a total of 1404 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 1.52, 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 2.13, 5.6, 5.49 and 3.19. The aggregate street network in Bur Sa`id increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 1990.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Bur Sa`id peaked in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Bur Sa`id, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Port Said. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Port Said followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease.

How do development practices in Bur Sa`id fare in comparison to others in Egypt? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Bur Sa`id was the 25th-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 Bur Sa`id has become more connected. Bur Sa`id ranked 20th in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 5th in 1991-2000 and 25th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Bur Sa`id is Port Said with an SNDi of 0.14, which is very well-connected. Conversely, the most connected city is Port Said with an SNDi of 0.14, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: Port Said, Port Said

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Bur Sa`id peaked in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Bur Sa`id, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Port Said. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Port Said followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease.

To date, Bur Sa`id is the 17th-most disconnected out of the 25 regions in Egypt. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Egypt, the street network in Bur Sa`id has become more disconnected. Bur Sa`id ranked 20th in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 17th in 2001-2014.