Street-network Sprawl in Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo

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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:

• nodal degree
• dendricity, the tree-likeness of the street network
• circuity, the ratio of the distance by road to the straight-line distance of two locations on the street network
• sinuosity, the curviness of a street

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:

• Global trends toward urban street-network sprawl
• A global assessment of street-network sprawl

To see the state of street-network sprawl across the globe, visit the sprawlmap.

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Kosovska Mitrovica: region in Kosovo

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 Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo on the sprawlmap

How have Kosovska Mitrovica's street networks changed over time?

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Kosovska Mitrovica as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 6.88, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 6.05, 7.51, 8.27 and 7.11. Street construction in Kosovska Mitrovica 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 Kosovska Mitrovica spans a total of 1754 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 7.51, 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 6.05, 6.83, 6.9 and 6.88. The aggregate street network in Kosovska Mitrovica increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 2000.

Kosovska Mitrovica in context: Street-network sprawl of new development

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Kosovska Mitrovica peaked in 1991-2000. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Kosovska Mitrovica, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Mitrovicë. Disconnectivity in the most populous cities in Kosovska Mitrovica follow the same region trend.

How do development practices in Kosovska Mitrovica fare in comparison to others in Kosovo? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Kosovska Mitrovica was the 4th-most disconnected out of the 7 regions in Kosovo. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Kosovo, street construction in Kosovska Mitrovica has become more connected. Kosovska Mitrovica ranked 2nd in 1975, 2nd in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014.

Kosovska Mitrovica in context: Aggregate street-network sprawl

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Kosovska Mitrovica is Mitrovicë with an SNDi of 5.87, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Mitrovicë with an SNDi of 5.87, which is highly disconnected. See trends for these cities: Mitrovicë, Mitrovicë

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Kosovska Mitrovica peaked in 1991-2000. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Kosovska Mitrovica, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Mitrovicë. Disconnectivity in the most populous cities in Kosovska Mitrovica follow the same region trend.

To date, Kosovska Mitrovica is the 3rd-most disconnected out of the 7 regions in Kosovo. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Kosovo, the street network in Kosovska Mitrovica has become more connected. Kosovska Mitrovica ranked 2nd in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 3rd in 1991-2000 and 3rd in 2001-2014.

Cities in Kosovska Mitrovica

• Mitrovicë