Street-network Sprawl in Río Bravo, 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.

Río Bravo: city in Tamaulipas, 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 Río Bravo, Mexico on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Río Bravo as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.83, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are -0.4, 0.65, 1.52 and 2.34. In each period, new street development in Río Bravo steadily grows more disconnected than in the last. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 1.05 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.82.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Río Bravo spans a total of 387 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 0.65, 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 -0.4, 0.61, 0.67 and 0.83. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Río Bravo has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 1.0 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.16.

Río Bravo and Tamaulipas 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 Río Bravo fare in comparison to others in Tamaulipas? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Río Bravo was the 7th-most disconnected out of the 7 cities in Tamaulipas. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Río Bravo ranked 7th in 1975, 7th in 1976-1990, 6th in 1991-2000 and 7th in 2001-2014.

Río Bravo 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 Río Bravo fare in comparison to others in Mexico? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Río Bravo was the 126th-most disconnected out of the 166 cities in Mexico. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Mexico, street construction in Río Bravo has become more disconnected. Río Bravo ranked 144th in 1975, 145th in 1976-1990, 133rd in 1991-2000 and 126th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Río Bravo is the 7th-most disconnected out of the 7 cities in Tamaulipas. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Río Bravo ranked 7th in 1975, 7th in 1976-1990, 7th in 1991-2000 and 7th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Río Bravo is the 147th-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 Río Bravo has become more connected. Río Bravo ranked 144th in 1975, 139th in 1976-1990, 147th in 1991-2000 and 147th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Río Bravo had a built-up area of 16.8 square kilometers, and a population of 93250 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: