Street-network Sprawl in Echterdingen, Germany

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.

Echterdingen: city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany

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 Echterdingen, Germany on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Echterdingen as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.43, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.4, 1.92, -0.17 and 1.75. Disconnectivity in street construction in Echterdingen follows a zig-zag trend. In 1991-2000, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Echterdingen spans a total of 341 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.4, 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 1.4, 1.44, 1.43 and 1.43. Disconnectivity in Echterdingen's street network follows a zig-zag trend. In 1975, the city was most disconnected; while it was most connected in 1976-1990.

Echterdingen and Baden-Württemberg do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Echterdingen followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Baden-Württemberg peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Echterdingen fare in comparison to others in Baden-Württemberg? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Echterdingen was the 9th-most disconnected out of the 14 cities in Baden-Württemberg. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Baden-Württemberg, street construction in Echterdingen has become more connected. Echterdingen ranked 2nd in 1975, 7th in 1976-1990, 12th in 1991-2000 and 9th in 2001-2014.

Echterdingen and Germany do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Echterdingen followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Germany peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Echterdingen fare in comparison to others in Germany? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Echterdingen was the 65th-most disconnected out of the 87 cities in Germany. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Germany, street construction in Echterdingen has become more connected. Echterdingen ranked 20th in 1975, 45th in 1976-1990, 79th in 1991-2000 and 65th in 2001-2014.

Echterdingen and Baden-Württemberg do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Echterdingen followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Baden-Württemberg rose steadily.

To date, Echterdingen is the 2nd-most disconnected out of the 14 cities in Baden-Württemberg. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Echterdingen ranked 2nd in 1975, 2nd in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 2nd in 2001-2014.

Echterdingen and Germany do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Echterdingen followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Germany rose steadily.

To date, Echterdingen is the 26th-most disconnected out of the 87 cities in Germany. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Germany, the street network in Echterdingen has become more connected. Echterdingen ranked 20th in 1975, 24th in 1976-1990, 25th in 1991-2000 and 26th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Echterdingen had a built-up area of 17.21 square kilometers, and a population of 98912 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: