Street-network Sprawl in Kuwait City, Kuwait

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.

Kuwait City: city in Al Farwaniyah, Kuwait

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 Kuwait City, Kuwait on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Kuwait City as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.11, 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 2.65, 4.13, 3.53 and 3.07. Street construction in Kuwait City increased in disconnectivity initially but has since improved. The streets constructed in 1976-1990 were the most disconnected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Kuwait City spans a total of 6023 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 2.65, 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 2.65, 3.11, 3.11 and 3.11. The aggregate street network in Kuwait City increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 2000.

Kuwait City and Al Farwaniyah do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Kuwait City peaked in 1976-1990, while the SNDi of street constructions in Al Farwaniyah followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease.

How do development practices in Kuwait City fare in comparison to others in Al Farwaniyah? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Kuwait City was the 1st-most disconnected out of the 1 cities in Al Farwaniyah. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Kuwait City ranked 1st in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

Kuwait City and Kuwait follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these peaked in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Kuwait City fare in comparison to others in Kuwait? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Kuwait City was the 1st-most disconnected out of the 4 cities in Kuwait. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Kuwait, street construction in Kuwait City has become more disconnected. Kuwait City ranked 3rd in 1975, 2nd in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

Kuwait City and Al Farwaniyah do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Kuwait City peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Al Farwaniyah peaked in 1976-1990.

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

Kuwait City and Kuwait follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these peaked in 1991-2000.

To date, Kuwait City is the 2nd-most disconnected out of the 4 cities in Kuwait. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Kuwait, the street network in Kuwait City has become more disconnected. Kuwait City ranked 3rd in 1975, 2nd in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 2nd in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Kuwait City had a built-up area of 304.62 square kilometers, and a population of 3168016 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: