Street-network Sprawl in Koutiala, Mali

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.

Koutiala: city in Sikasso, Mali

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 Koutiala, Mali on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Koutiala as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.9, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.59, 0.31, 1.06 and 1.71. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Koutiala fell, then rose. In 1976-1990, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Koutiala spans a total of 502 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1991-2000. These roads have an SNDi of 1.06, 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 0.59, 0.47, 0.68 and 0.9. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Koutiala has worsened in disconnectivity since 1990.

Koutiala and Sikasso do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Koutiala was at its lowest in 1976-1990, while the SNDi of street constructions in Sikasso rose steadily.

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

Koutiala and Mali do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Koutiala was at its lowest in 1976-1990, while the SNDi of street constructions in Mali rose steadily.

How do development practices in Koutiala fare in comparison to others in Mali? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Koutiala was the 7th-most disconnected out of the 16 cities in Mali. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Mali, street construction in Koutiala has become more connected. Koutiala ranked 5th in 1975, 9th in 1976-1990, 7th in 1991-2000 and 7th in 2001-2014.

Koutiala and Sikasso do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Koutiala was at its lowest in 1976-1990, while the SNDi of street constructions in Sikasso rose steadily.

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

Koutiala and Mali do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Koutiala was at its lowest in 1976-1990, while the SNDi of street constructions in Mali rose steadily.

To date, Koutiala is the 8th-most disconnected out of the 16 cities in Mali. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Mali, the street network in Koutiala has become more connected. Koutiala ranked 5th in 1975, 9th in 1976-1990, 8th in 1991-2000 and 8th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Koutiala had a built-up area of 14.5 square kilometers, and a population of 226431 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: