Street-network Sprawl in La Paz, 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.

La Paz: city in Baja California Sur, 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 La Paz, Mexico on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in La Paz as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.93, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.93, 0.86, 2.72 and 0.92. Disconnectivity in street construction in La Paz follows a zig-zag trend. In 1976-1990, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1991-2000.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in La Paz spans a total of 507 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 0.86, 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 0.93, 0.86, 0.93 and 0.93. Disconnectivity in La Paz's street network follows a zig-zag trend. In 1976-1990, the city was most disconnected; while it was most connected in 1991-2000.

La Paz and Baja California Sur 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 decrease.

How do development practices in La Paz fare in comparison to others in Baja California Sur? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in La Paz was the 3rd-most disconnected out of the 3 cities in Baja California Sur. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. La Paz ranked 3rd in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 3rd in 2001-2014.

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

How do development practices in La Paz fare in comparison to others in Mexico? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in La Paz was the 156th-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 La Paz has become more connected. La Paz ranked 81st in 1975, 138th in 1976-1990, 77th in 1991-2000 and 156th in 2001-2014.

La Paz and Baja California Sur do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in La Paz followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease, while the SNDi of street constructions in Baja California Sur was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, La Paz is the 3rd-most disconnected out of the 3 cities in Baja California Sur. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. La Paz ranked 3rd in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 3rd in 1991-2000 and 3rd in 2001-2014.

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

To date, La Paz is the 144th-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 La Paz has become more connected. La Paz ranked 81st in 1975, 128th in 1976-1990, 136th in 1991-2000 and 144th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, La Paz had a built-up area of 20.51 square kilometers, and a population of 249632 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: