Himachal Pradesh: region in India
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 Himachal Pradesh, India on the sprawlmap
Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Himachal Pradesh as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 6.55, which is highly disconnected.
Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 6.93, 5.72, 6.04 and 7.26. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Himachal Pradesh fell, then rose. In 1976-1990, new street layouts were the most connected.
Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Himachal Pradesh spans a total of 10206 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 7.26, 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 6.93, 6.17, 6.15 and 6.55. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Himachal Pradesh has worsened in disconnectivity since 2000.
The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Himachal Pradesh was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Himachal Pradesh, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Shimla, Hamirpur and Baddi. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Shimla followed a zig-zag trend. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Hamirpur followed a zig-zag trend. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Baddi followed a zig-zag trend.
How do development practices in Himachal Pradesh fare in comparison to others in India? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Himachal Pradesh was the 6th-most disconnected out of the 35 regions in India. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in India, street construction in Himachal Pradesh has become more connected. Himachal Pradesh ranked 2nd in 1975, 6th in 1976-1990, 8th in 1991-2000 and 6th in 2001-2014.
As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Himachal Pradesh is Dharamshala with an SNDi of 5.6, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Paonta Sahib with an SNDi of 1.41, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Paonta Sahib, Dharamshala
The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Himachal Pradesh was at its lowest in 1991-2000. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Himachal Pradesh, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Shimla, Hamirpur and Baddi. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Shimla followed a zig-zag trend. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Hamirpur followed a zig-zag trend. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Baddi followed a zig-zag trend.
To date, Himachal Pradesh is the 5th-most disconnected out of the 35 regions in India. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in India, the street network in Himachal Pradesh has become more connected. Himachal Pradesh ranked 2nd in 1975, 4th in 1976-1990, 5th in 1991-2000 and 5th in 2001-2014.