Street-network Sprawl in Chabahar, 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.

Chabahar: city in Sistan and Baluchestan, 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 Chabahar, Iran on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Chabahar as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.59, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 2.2, 1.39, 0.71 and 1.43. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Chabahar fell, then rose. In 1991-2000, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Chabahar spans a total of 150 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 1.39, 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 2.2, 1.77, 1.67 and 1.59. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has fallen: the street network in Chabahar has become more connected.

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

How do development practices in Chabahar fare in comparison to others in Sistan and Baluchestan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Chabahar was the 6th-most disconnected out of the 9 cities in Sistan and Baluchestan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Sistan and Baluchestan, street construction in Chabahar has become more connected. Chabahar ranked 3rd in 1975, 5th in 1976-1990, 4th in 1991-2000 and 6th in 2001-2014.

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

How do development practices in Chabahar fare in comparison to others in Iran? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Chabahar was the 152nd-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 Chabahar has become more connected. Chabahar ranked 71st in 1975, 106th in 1976-1990, 146th in 1991-2000 and 152nd in 2001-2014.

Chabahar and Sistan and Baluchestan follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these fell steadily.

To date, Chabahar is the 6th-most disconnected out of the 9 cities in Sistan and Baluchestan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Sistan and Baluchestan, the street network in Chabahar has become more connected. Chabahar ranked 3rd in 1975, 4th in 1976-1990, 4th in 1991-2000 and 6th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Chabahar is the 130th-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 Chabahar has become more connected. Chabahar ranked 71st in 1975, 86th in 1976-1990, 103rd in 1991-2000 and 130th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Chabahar had a built-up area of 8.28 square kilometers, and a population of 279296 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: