Street-network Sprawl in Hidalgo del Parral, 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.

Hidalgo del Parral: city in Chihuahua, 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 Hidalgo del Parral, Mexico on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Hidalgo del Parral as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.22, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.43, 1.22, 2.0 and 1.86. Street construction in Hidalgo del Parral increased in disconnectivity initially but has since improved. The streets constructed in 1991-2000 were the most disconnected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Hidalgo del Parral spans a total of 388 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 1.22, 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 0.43, 0.93, 1.18 and 1.22. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Hidalgo del Parral has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.5 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.04.

Hidalgo del Parral and Chihuahua do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Hidalgo del Parral peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Chihuahua rose steadily.

How do development practices in Hidalgo del Parral fare in comparison to others in Chihuahua? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Hidalgo del Parral was the 4th-most disconnected out of the 6 cities in Chihuahua. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Chihuahua, street construction in Hidalgo del Parral has become more connected. Hidalgo del Parral ranked 2nd in 1975, 2nd in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014.

Hidalgo del Parral and Mexico do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Hidalgo del Parral peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Mexico rose steadily.

How do development practices in Hidalgo del Parral fare in comparison to others in Mexico? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Hidalgo del Parral was the 142nd-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 Hidalgo del Parral has become more connected. Hidalgo del Parral ranked 105th in 1975, 115th in 1976-1990, 109th in 1991-2000 and 142nd in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Hidalgo del Parral is the 3rd-most disconnected out of the 6 cities in Chihuahua. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Chihuahua, the street network in Hidalgo del Parral has become more connected. Hidalgo del Parral ranked 2nd in 1975, 2nd in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 3rd in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Hidalgo del Parral is the 134th-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 Hidalgo del Parral has become more connected. Hidalgo del Parral ranked 105th in 1975, 125th in 1976-1990, 121st in 1991-2000 and 134th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Hidalgo del Parral had a built-up area of 12.61 square kilometers, and a population of 108238 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: