Street-network Sprawl in Yazd, 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.

Yazd: region in 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 Yazd, Iran on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Yazd as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.09, 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 3.16, 2.42, 2.45 and 3.92. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Yazd fell, then rose. In 1976-1990, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Yazd spans a total of 4908 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 3.16, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness.

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 3.16, 2.92, 2.86 and 3.09. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Yazd has worsened in disconnectivity since 2000.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Yazd was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Yazd, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Yazd, Ardakan and Tabas. Out of the three cities, Ardakan and Tabas do not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Ardakan fell steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Tabas peaked in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Yazd fare in comparison to others in Iran? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Yazd was the 15th-most disconnected out of the 31 regions in Iran. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Iran, street construction in Yazd has become more disconnected. Yazd ranked 22nd in 1975, 17th in 1976-1990, 27th in 1991-2000 and 15th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Yazd is Yazd with an SNDi of 2.89, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness. Conversely, the most connected city is Tabas with an SNDi of 1.5, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Tabas, Yazd

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Yazd was at its lowest in 1991-2000. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Yazd, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Yazd, Ardakan and Tabas. Out of the three cities, Ardakan and Tabas do not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Ardakan fell steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Tabas rose steadily.

To date, Yazd is the 18th-most disconnected out of the 31 regions in Iran. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Iran, the street network in Yazd has become more disconnected. Yazd ranked 22nd in 1975, 15th in 1976-1990, 18th in 1991-2000 and 18th in 2001-2014.