Street-network Sprawl in Vrindavan, 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.

Vrindavan: city in Uttar Pradesh, 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 Vrindavan, India on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Vrindavan as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.72, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are -0.11, 3.29, 3.54 and 2.08. Street construction in Vrindavan increased in disconnectivity initially but has since improved. The streets constructed in 1991-2000 were the most disconnected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Vrindavan spans a total of 108 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 2.08, which is relatively well-connected.

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 -0.11, 1.41, 1.76 and 1.72. The aggregate street network in Vrindavan increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 2000.

Vrindavan and Uttar Pradesh do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Vrindavan peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Uttar Pradesh rose steadily.

How do development practices in Vrindavan fare in comparison to others in Uttar Pradesh? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Vrindavan was the 76th-most disconnected out of the 204 cities in Uttar Pradesh. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Uttar Pradesh, street construction in Vrindavan has become more disconnected. Vrindavan ranked 82nd in 1975, 35th in 1976-1990, 41st in 1991-2000 and 76th in 2001-2014.

Vrindavan and India do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Vrindavan peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in India rose steadily.

How do development practices in Vrindavan fare in comparison to others in India? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Vrindavan was the 874th-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 Vrindavan has become more connected. Vrindavan ranked 792nd in 1975, 369th in 1976-1990, 430th in 1991-2000 and 874th in 2001-2014.

Vrindavan and Uttar Pradesh do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Vrindavan peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Uttar Pradesh rose steadily.

To date, Vrindavan is the 117th-most disconnected out of the 204 cities in Uttar Pradesh. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Uttar Pradesh, the street network in Vrindavan has become more connected. Vrindavan ranked 82nd in 1975, 80th in 1976-1990, 100th in 1991-2000 and 117th in 2001-2014.

Vrindavan and India do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Vrindavan peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in India rose steadily.

To date, Vrindavan is the 1097th-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 Vrindavan has become more connected. Vrindavan ranked 792nd in 1975, 958th in 1976-1990, 965th in 1991-2000 and 1097th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Vrindavan had a built-up area of 5.57 square kilometers, and a population of 269563 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: