Street-network Sprawl in Montpellier, France

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.

Montpellier: city in Occitanie, France

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 Montpellier, France on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Montpellier as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.23, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.31, 2.68, 3.02 and 2.5. Street construction in Montpellier increased in disconnectivity initially but has since improved. The streets constructed in 1991-2000 were the most disconnected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Montpellier spans a total of 1055 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 2.68, 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 1.31, 2.2, 2.22 and 2.23. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Montpellier has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.89 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.01.

Montpellier and Occitanie do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Montpellier peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Occitanie rose steadily.

How do development practices in Montpellier fare in comparison to others in Occitanie? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Montpellier was the 5th-most disconnected out of the 5 cities in Occitanie. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Occitanie, street construction in Montpellier has become more connected. Montpellier ranked 2nd in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 4th in 1991-2000 and 5th in 2001-2014.

Montpellier and France do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Montpellier peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in France rose steadily.

How do development practices in Montpellier fare in comparison to others in France? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Montpellier was the 60th-most disconnected out of the 76 cities in France. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in France, street construction in Montpellier has become more disconnected. Montpellier ranked 65th in 1975, 56th in 1976-1990, 36th in 1991-2000 and 60th in 2001-2014.

Montpellier and Occitanie follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

To date, Montpellier is the 2nd-most disconnected out of the 5 cities in Occitanie. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Montpellier ranked 2nd in 1975, 2nd in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 2nd in 2001-2014.

Montpellier and France follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

To date, Montpellier is the 41st-most disconnected out of the 76 cities in France. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in France, the street network in Montpellier has become more disconnected. Montpellier ranked 65th in 1975, 41st in 1976-1990, 41st in 1991-2000 and 41st in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Montpellier had a built-up area of 48.54 square kilometers, and a population of 293865 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: