Street-network Sprawl in Chetumal, 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.

Chetumal: city in Quintana Roo, 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 Chetumal, Mexico on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Chetumal as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.37, which is very well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.01, 0.2, 0.52 and 1.33. In each period, new street development in Chetumal steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Chetumal spans a total of 616 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 0.01, which is very 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 0.01, 0.11, 0.18 and 0.37. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Chetumal has become more disconnected.

Chetumal and Quintana Roo follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

How do development practices in Chetumal fare in comparison to others in Quintana Roo? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Chetumal was the 4th-most disconnected out of the 4 cities in Quintana Roo. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Chetumal ranked 4th in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 3rd in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014.

Chetumal and Mexico follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

How do development practices in Chetumal fare in comparison to others in Mexico? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Chetumal was the 151st-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 Chetumal has become more connected. Chetumal ranked 130th in 1975, 157th in 1976-1990, 158th in 1991-2000 and 151st in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Chetumal is the 4th-most disconnected out of the 4 cities in Quintana Roo. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Chetumal ranked 4th in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 4th in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Chetumal is the 159th-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 Chetumal has become more connected. Chetumal ranked 130th in 1975, 158th in 1976-1990, 158th in 1991-2000 and 159th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Chetumal had a built-up area of 18.55 square kilometers, and a population of 162671 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: