Street-network Sprawl in Busto Arsizio, Italy

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.

Busto Arsizio: city in Lombardia, Italy

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 Busto Arsizio, Italy on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Busto Arsizio as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.87, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.72, 3.03, 7.22 and 3.87. Street construction in Busto Arsizio 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 Busto Arsizio spans a total of 1218 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.72, 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 1.72, 1.84, 1.84 and 1.87. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Busto Arsizio has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.12 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.03.

Busto Arsizio and Lombardia follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Busto Arsizio fare in comparison to others in Lombardia? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Busto Arsizio was the 5th-most disconnected out of the 11 cities in Lombardia. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Lombardia, street construction in Busto Arsizio has become more disconnected. Busto Arsizio ranked 8th in 1975, 7th in 1976-1990, 3rd in 1991-2000 and 5th in 2001-2014.

Busto Arsizio and Italy follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Busto Arsizio fare in comparison to others in Italy? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Busto Arsizio was the 41st-most disconnected out of the 91 cities in Italy. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Italy, street construction in Busto Arsizio has become more connected. Busto Arsizio ranked 40th in 1975, 50th in 1976-1990, 12th in 1991-2000 and 41st in 2001-2014.

Busto Arsizio and Lombardia follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

To date, Busto Arsizio is the 8th-most disconnected out of the 11 cities in Lombardia. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Busto Arsizio ranked 8th in 1975, 8th in 1976-1990, 8th in 1991-2000 and 8th in 2001-2014.

Busto Arsizio and Italy follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

To date, Busto Arsizio is the 46th-most disconnected out of the 91 cities in Italy. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Italy, the street network in Busto Arsizio has become more connected. Busto Arsizio ranked 40th in 1975, 46th in 1976-1990, 46th in 1991-2000 and 46th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Busto Arsizio had a built-up area of 59.51 square kilometers, and a population of 284566 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: