Street-network Sprawl in Ajmer, India

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.

Ajmer: city in Rajasthan, 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 Ajmer, India on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Ajmer as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.67, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 4.03, 3.57, 4.32 and 3.55. Disconnectivity in street construction in Ajmer follows a zig-zag trend. In 2001-2014, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1991-2000.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Ajmer spans a total of 1152 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 3.55, 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 4.03, 3.61, 3.76 and 3.67. Disconnectivity in Ajmer's street network follows a zig-zag trend. In 1976-1990, the city was most disconnected; while it was most connected in 1975.

Ajmer and Rajasthan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Ajmer followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease, while the SNDi of street constructions in Rajasthan rose steadily.

How do development practices in Ajmer fare in comparison to others in Rajasthan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Ajmer was the 25th-most disconnected out of the 135 cities in Rajasthan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Rajasthan, street construction in Ajmer has become more connected. Ajmer ranked 10th in 1975, 16th in 1976-1990, 5th in 1991-2000 and 25th in 2001-2014.

Ajmer and India do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Ajmer followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease, while the SNDi of street constructions in India rose steadily.

How do development practices in Ajmer fare in comparison to others in India? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Ajmer was the 544th-most disconnected out of the 1716 cities in India. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in India, street construction in Ajmer has become more connected. Ajmer ranked 165th in 1975, 302nd in 1976-1990, 284th in 1991-2000 and 544th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Ajmer is the 14th-most disconnected out of the 135 cities in Rajasthan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Rajasthan, the street network in Ajmer has become more connected. Ajmer ranked 10th in 1975, 15th in 1976-1990, 11th in 1991-2000 and 14th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Ajmer is the 396th-most disconnected out of the 1716 cities in India. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in India, the street network in Ajmer has become more connected. Ajmer ranked 165th in 1975, 288th in 1976-1990, 308th in 1991-2000 and 396th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Ajmer had a built-up area of 26.24 square kilometers, and a population of 556676 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: