Street-network Sprawl in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

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.

Bishkek: city in Biškek, Kyrgyzstan

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 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Bishkek as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.41, 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 2.11, 2.71, 1.87 and 2.57. Disconnectivity in street construction in Bishkek follows a zig-zag trend. In 1991-2000, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Bishkek spans a total of 1799 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 2.57, 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 2.11, 2.18, 2.07 and 2.41. Disconnectivity in Bishkek's street network follows a zig-zag trend. In 1991-2000, the city was most disconnected; while it was most connected in 2001-2014.

Bishkek and Biškek follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase.

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

Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Bishkek followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Kyrgyzstan rose steadily.

How do development practices in Bishkek fare in comparison to others in Kyrgyzstan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Bishkek was the 6th-most disconnected out of the 9 cities in Kyrgyzstan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Bishkek ranked 6th in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 7th in 1991-2000 and 6th in 2001-2014.

Bishkek and Biškek follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase.

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

Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Bishkek followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Kyrgyzstan rose steadily.

To date, Bishkek is the 5th-most disconnected out of the 9 cities in Kyrgyzstan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Kyrgyzstan, the street network in Bishkek has become more disconnected. Bishkek ranked 6th in 1975, 8th in 1976-1990, 9th in 1991-2000 and 5th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Bishkek had a built-up area of 112.81 square kilometers, and a population of 1119914 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: