Street-network Sprawl in Kahnuj, 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.

Kahnuj: city in Kerman, 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 Kahnuj, Iran on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Kahnuj as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.96, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 2.85, 4.58, 1.04 and 1.43. Disconnectivity in street construction in Kahnuj follows a zig-zag trend. In 1991-2000, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Kahnuj spans a total of 60 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 1.43, 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 2.85, 2.97, 2.66 and 1.96. The aggregate street network in Kahnuj increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 1990.

Kahnuj and Kerman do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Kahnuj followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease, while the SNDi of street constructions in Kerman was at its lowest in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Kahnuj fare in comparison to others in Kerman? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Kahnuj was the 4th-most disconnected out of the 9 cities in Kerman. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Kerman, street construction in Kahnuj has become more connected. Kahnuj ranked 2nd in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 5th in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014.

Kahnuj and Iran do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Kahnuj followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease, while the SNDi of street constructions in Iran was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Kahnuj fare in comparison to others in Iran? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Kahnuj was the 153rd-most disconnected out of the 181 cities in Iran. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Iran, street construction in Kahnuj has become more connected. Kahnuj ranked 54th in 1975, 9th in 1976-1990, 132nd in 1991-2000 and 153rd in 2001-2014.

Kahnuj and Kerman do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Kahnuj peaked in 1976-1990, while the SNDi of street constructions in Kerman fell steadily.

To date, Kahnuj is the 3rd-most disconnected out of the 9 cities in Kerman. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Kerman, the street network in Kahnuj has become more connected. Kahnuj ranked 2nd in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 3rd in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Kahnuj is the 92nd-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 Kahnuj has become more connected. Kahnuj ranked 54th in 1975, 37th in 1976-1990, 51st in 1991-2000 and 92nd in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Kahnuj had a built-up area of 4.24 square kilometers, and a population of 59361 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: