Street-network Sprawl in Rangpur, India

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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:

• nodal degree
• dendricity, the tree-likeness of the street network
• circuity, the ratio of the distance by road to the straight-line distance of two locations on the street network
• sinuosity, the curviness of a street

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:

• Global trends toward urban street-network sprawl
• A global assessment of street-network sprawl

To see the state of street-network sprawl across the globe, visit the sprawlmap.

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Rangpur: region in India

View Rangpur, India on the sprawlmap

How have Rangpur's street networks changed over time?

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Rangpur as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 4.64, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 2.82, 3.91, 4.53 and 5.35. In each period, new street development in Rangpur steadily grows more disconnected than in the last. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 1.09 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.82.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Rangpur spans a total of 8091 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 5.35, 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 2.82, 3.73, 3.97 and 4.64. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Rangpur has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.91 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.67.

Rangpur in context: Street-network sprawl of new development

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Rangpur rose steadily. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Rangpur, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Tilai. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Tilai followed a zig-zag trend.

How do development practices in Rangpur fare in comparison to others in India? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Rangpur was the 16th-most disconnected out of the 35 regions in India. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in India, street construction in Rangpur has become more disconnected. Rangpur ranked 28th in 1975, 16th in 1976-1990, 17th in 1991-2000 and 16th in 2001-2014.

Rangpur in context: Aggregate street-network sprawl

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Rangpur is Tilai with an SNDi of 8.78, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Tilai with an SNDi of 8.78, which is highly disconnected. See trends for these cities: Tilai, Tilai

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Rangpur rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Rangpur, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Tilai. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Tilai followed a zig-zag trend.

To date, Rangpur is the 13th-most disconnected out of the 35 regions in India. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in India, the street network in Rangpur has become more disconnected. Rangpur ranked 28th in 1975, 17th in 1976-1990, 17th in 1991-2000 and 13th in 2001-2014.

Cities in Rangpur

• Tilai