Street-network Sprawl in Behshahr, 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.

Behshahr: city in Mazandaran, 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 Behshahr, Iran on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Behshahr as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.08, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.76, 2.3, 10.61 and 0.61. Street construction in Behshahr 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 Behshahr spans a total of 117 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.76, 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, 2.04, 2.09 and 2.08. The aggregate street network in Behshahr increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 2000.

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

How do development practices in Behshahr fare in comparison to others in Mazandaran? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Behshahr was the 7th-most disconnected out of the 7 cities in Mazandaran. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Mazandaran, street construction in Behshahr has become more connected. Behshahr ranked 6th in 1975, 7th in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 7th in 2001-2014.

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

How do development practices in Behshahr fare in comparison to others in Iran? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Behshahr was the 172nd-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 Behshahr has become more connected. Behshahr ranked 84th in 1975, 48th in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 172nd in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Behshahr is the 7th-most disconnected out of the 7 cities in Mazandaran. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Mazandaran, the street network in Behshahr has become more connected. Behshahr ranked 6th in 1975, 7th in 1976-1990, 7th in 1991-2000 and 7th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Behshahr is the 88th-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 Behshahr has become more connected. Behshahr ranked 84th in 1975, 63rd in 1976-1990, 73rd in 1991-2000 and 88th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Behshahr had a built-up area of 8.12 square kilometers, and a population of 61209 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: