Street-network Sprawl in Aguascalientes, Mexico

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.

Aguascalientes: city in Mexico

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 Aguascalientes, Mexico on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Aguascalientes as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.71, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.64, 1.71, 1.66 and 2.76. Disconnectivity in street construction in Aguascalientes follows a zig-zag trend. In 1975, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 2001-2014.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Aguascalientes spans a total of 2510 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 1.71, 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 0.64, 1.33, 1.42 and 1.71. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Aguascalientes has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.7 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.29.

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

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

How do development practices in Aguascalientes fare in comparison to others in Mexico? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Aguascalientes was the 113th-most disconnected out of the 166 cities in Mexico. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Mexico, street construction in Aguascalientes has become more connected. Aguascalientes ranked 96th in 1975, 95th in 1976-1990, 127th in 1991-2000 and 113th in 2001-2014.

Aguascalientes and Aguascalientes follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

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

Aguascalientes and Mexico follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

To date, Aguascalientes is the 103rd-most disconnected out of the 166 cities in Mexico. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Mexico, the street network in Aguascalientes has become more connected. Aguascalientes ranked 96th in 1975, 99th in 1976-1990, 102nd in 1991-2000 and 103rd in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Aguascalientes had a built-up area of 89.46 square kilometers, and a population of 877349 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: