Street-network Sprawl in Kajiado, Kenya

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.

Kajiado: region in Kenya

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 Kajiado, Kenya on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Kajiado as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 4.73, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 2.94, 3.46, 4.77 and 5.11. In each period, new street development in Kajiado steadily grows more disconnected than in the last. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.52 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.34.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Kajiado spans a total of 1921 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 5.11, which is highly disconnected.

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 2.94, 3.46, 4.09 and 4.73. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Kajiado has become more disconnected.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Kajiado rose steadily. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Kajiado, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Ongata Rongai and Ngong. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Ongata Rongai followed a zig-zag trend. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Ngong followed a zig-zag trend.

How do development practices in Kajiado fare in comparison to others in Kenya? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Kajiado was the 4th-most disconnected out of the 26 regions in Kenya. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Kenya, street construction in Kajiado has become more disconnected. Kajiado ranked 9th in 1975, 7th in 1976-1990, 7th in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Kajiado is Ngong with an SNDi of 4.96, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Ongata Rongai with an SNDi of 4.84, which is highly disconnected. See trends for these cities: Ongata Rongai, Ngong

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Kajiado rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Kajiado, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Ongata Rongai and Ngong. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Ongata Rongai followed a zig-zag trend. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Ngong followed a zig-zag trend.

To date, Kajiado is the 4th-most disconnected out of the 26 regions in Kenya. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Kenya, the street network in Kajiado has become more disconnected. Kajiado ranked 9th in 1975, 6th in 1976-1990, 5th in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014.