Street-network Sprawl in Shahr-e Kord, Iran

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.

Shahr-e Kord: city in Chahar Mahall and Bakhtiari, Iran

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 Shahr-e Kord, Iran on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Shahr-e Kord as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.9, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.32, 0.52, 2.4 and 2.31. Street construction in Shahr-e Kord 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 Shahr-e Kord spans a total of 453 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 0.52, 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 0.32, 0.52, 0.73 and 0.9. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Shahr-e Kord has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.2 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.17.

Shahr-e Kord and Chahar Mahall and Bakhtiari do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Shahr-e Kord peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Chahar Mahall and Bakhtiari was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Shahr-e Kord fare in comparison to others in Chahar Mahall and Bakhtiari? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Shahr-e Kord was the 2nd-most disconnected out of the 2 cities in Chahar Mahall and Bakhtiari. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Chahar Mahall and Bakhtiari, street construction in Shahr-e Kord has become more connected. Shahr-e Kord ranked 1st in 1975, 2nd in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 2nd in 2001-2014.

Shahr-e Kord and Iran do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Shahr-e Kord peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Iran was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Shahr-e Kord fare in comparison to others in Iran? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Shahr-e Kord was the 115th-most disconnected out of the 181 cities in Iran. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Iran, street construction in Shahr-e Kord has become more disconnected. Shahr-e Kord ranked 127th in 1975, 159th in 1976-1990, 82nd in 1991-2000 and 115th in 2001-2014.

Shahr-e Kord and Chahar Mahall and Bakhtiari do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Shahr-e Kord rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Chahar Mahall and Bakhtiari was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, Shahr-e Kord is the 2nd-most disconnected out of the 2 cities in Chahar Mahall and Bakhtiari. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Chahar Mahall and Bakhtiari, the street network in Shahr-e Kord has become more connected. Shahr-e Kord ranked 1st in 1975, 2nd in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 2nd in 2001-2014.

Shahr-e Kord and Iran do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Shahr-e Kord rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Iran was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, Shahr-e Kord is the 170th-most disconnected out of the 181 cities in Iran. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Iran, the street network in Shahr-e Kord has become more connected. Shahr-e Kord ranked 127th in 1975, 161st in 1976-1990, 161st in 1991-2000 and 170th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Shahr-e Kord had a built-up area of 8.71 square kilometers, and a population of 113857 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: