Street-network Sprawl in Al-Rumaitha, Iraq

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.

Al-Rumaitha: city in Al-Muthannia, Iraq

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 Al-Rumaitha, Iraq on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Al-Rumaitha as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.9, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 2.25, 1.52, 1.25 and 4.63. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Al-Rumaitha fell, then rose. In 1991-2000, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Al-Rumaitha spans a total of 126 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 1.52, 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 2.25, 1.6, 1.55 and 1.9. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Al-Rumaitha has worsened in disconnectivity since 2000.

Al-Rumaitha and Al-Muthannia follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these was at its lowest in 1991-2000.

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

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

How do development practices in Al-Rumaitha fare in comparison to others in Iraq? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Al-Rumaitha was the 7th-most disconnected out of the 75 cities in Iraq. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Iraq, street construction in Al-Rumaitha has become more disconnected. Al-Rumaitha ranked 17th in 1975, 31st in 1976-1990, 39th in 1991-2000 and 7th in 2001-2014.

Al-Rumaitha and Al-Muthannia follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these was at its lowest in 1991-2000.

To date, Al-Rumaitha is the 2nd-most disconnected out of the 3 cities in Al-Muthannia. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Al-Rumaitha ranked 2nd in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 2nd in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Al-Rumaitha is the 24th-most disconnected out of the 75 cities in Iraq. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Iraq, the street network in Al-Rumaitha has become more connected. Al-Rumaitha ranked 17th in 1975, 30th in 1976-1990, 31st in 1991-2000 and 24th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Al-Rumaitha had a built-up area of 2.3 square kilometers, and a population of 126218 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: