Street-network Sprawl in Ladnun, 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.

Ladnun: 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 Ladnun, India on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Ladnun as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.85, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.19, 2.58, 2.65 and 3.36. In each period, new street development in Ladnun steadily grows more disconnected than in the last. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 1.39 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.71.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Ladnun spans a total of 107 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1991-2000. These roads have an SNDi of 2.65, 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 1.19, 1.47, 1.73 and 1.85. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Ladnun has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.28 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.13.

Ladnun and Rajasthan follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

How do development practices in Ladnun fare in comparison to others in Rajasthan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Ladnun was the 30th-most disconnected out of the 135 cities in Rajasthan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Rajasthan, street construction in Ladnun has become more disconnected. Ladnun ranked 38th in 1975, 31st in 1976-1990, 25th in 1991-2000 and 30th in 2001-2014.

Ladnun and India follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

How do development practices in Ladnun fare in comparison to others in India? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Ladnun was the 597th-most disconnected out of the 1716 cities in India. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in India, street construction in Ladnun has become more disconnected. Ladnun ranked 618th in 1975, 566th in 1976-1990, 619th in 1991-2000 and 597th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Ladnun is the 54th-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 Ladnun has become more connected. Ladnun ranked 38th in 1975, 53rd in 1976-1990, 50th in 1991-2000 and 54th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Ladnun is the 1057th-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 Ladnun has become more connected. Ladnun ranked 618th in 1975, 940th in 1976-1990, 978th in 1991-2000 and 1057th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Ladnun had a built-up area of 4.6 square kilometers, and a population of 94115 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: