Street-network Sprawl in Ahwaz, 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.

Ahwaz: city in Khuzestan, 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 Ahwaz, Iran on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Ahwaz as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.41, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.76, 2.2, 4.52 and 4.62. In each period, new street development in Ahwaz steadily grows more disconnected than in the last. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.44 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.1.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Ahwaz spans a total of 2365 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 2.2, 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 1.76, 2.0, 2.13 and 2.41. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Ahwaz has become more disconnected.

Ahwaz and Khuzestan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Ahwaz rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Khuzestan was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Ahwaz fare in comparison to others in Khuzestan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Ahwaz was the 1st-most disconnected out of the 16 cities in Khuzestan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Khuzestan, street construction in Ahwaz has become more disconnected. Ahwaz ranked 7th in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

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

How do development practices in Ahwaz fare in comparison to others in Iran? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Ahwaz was the 26th-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 Ahwaz has become more disconnected. Ahwaz ranked 83rd in 1975, 54th in 1976-1990, 24th in 1991-2000 and 26th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Ahwaz is the 5th-most disconnected out of the 16 cities in Khuzestan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Khuzestan, the street network in Ahwaz has become more disconnected. Ahwaz ranked 7th in 1975, 4th in 1976-1990, 5th in 1991-2000 and 5th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Ahwaz is the 72nd-most disconnected out of the 181 cities in Iran. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Iran, the street network in Ahwaz has become more disconnected. Ahwaz ranked 83rd in 1975, 67th in 1976-1990, 70th in 1991-2000 and 72nd in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Ahwaz had a built-up area of 59.31 square kilometers, and a population of 1232269 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: