Upper West: region in Ghana
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 Upper West, Ghana on the sprawlmap
Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Upper West as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.07, 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 1.87, 2.18, 2.73 and 3.81. In each period, new street development in Upper West steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.
Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Upper West spans a total of 2239 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 3.81, which is highly disconnected.
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 1.87, 2.13, 2.54 and 3.07. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Upper West has become more disconnected.
The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Upper West rose steadily. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Upper West, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Wa and Jirapa. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Wa followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Jirapa followed a zig-zag trend.
How do development practices in Upper West fare in comparison to others in Ghana? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Upper West was the 9th-most disconnected out of the 10 regions in Ghana. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Ghana, street construction in Upper West has become more disconnected. Upper West ranked 10th in 1975, 10th in 1976-1990, 10th in 1991-2000 and 9th in 2001-2014.
As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Upper West is Jirapa with an SNDi of 3.53, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Wa with an SNDi of 2.58, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness. See trends for these cities: Wa, Jirapa
The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Upper West rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Upper West, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Wa and Jirapa. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Wa followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Jirapa followed a zig-zag trend.
To date, Upper West is the 9th-most disconnected out of the 10 regions in Ghana. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Ghana, the street network in Upper West has become more disconnected. Upper West ranked 10th in 1975, 10th in 1976-1990, 10th in 1991-2000 and 9th in 2001-2014.