Street-network Sprawl in Brakna, Mauritania

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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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Brakna: region in Mauritania

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 Brakna, Mauritania on the sprawlmap

How have Brakna's street networks changed over time?

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Brakna as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.5, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.67, 3.22, 1.23 and 2.45. Disconnectivity in street construction in Brakna follows a zig-zag trend. In 1975, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Brakna spans a total of 551 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 2.45, 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 0.67, 4.34, 4.89 and 3.5. The aggregate street network in Brakna increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 2000.

Brakna in context: Street-network sprawl of new development

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Brakna followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Brakna, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Bogué. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Bogué followed a zig-zag trend.

How do development practices in Brakna fare in comparison to others in Mauritania? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Brakna was the 2nd-most disconnected out of the 6 regions in Mauritania. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Mauritania, street construction in Brakna has become more disconnected. Brakna ranked 4th in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 4th in 1991-2000 and 2nd in 2001-2014.

Brakna in context: Aggregate street-network sprawl

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Brakna is Bogué with an SNDi of 1.88, which is relatively well-connected. Conversely, the most connected city is Bogué with an SNDi of 1.88, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Bogué, Bogué

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Brakna peaked in 1991-2000. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Brakna, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Bogué. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Bogué followed a zig-zag trend.

To date, Brakna is the 1st-most disconnected out of the 6 regions in Mauritania. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Mauritania, the street network in Brakna has become more disconnected. Brakna ranked 4th in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

Cities in Brakna

• Bogué