Street-network Sprawl in Berrechid, Morocco

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.

Berrechid: city in Chaouia - Ouardigha, Morocco

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 Berrechid, Morocco on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Berrechid as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.82, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.24, 0.72, 0.59 and 1.38. Disconnectivity in street construction in Berrechid 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 Berrechid spans a total of 240 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 1.38, 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 0.24, 0.57, 0.58 and 0.82. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Berrechid has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.33 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.24.

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

How do development practices in Berrechid fare in comparison to others in Chaouia - Ouardigha? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Berrechid was the 6th-most disconnected out of the 6 cities in Chaouia - Ouardigha. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Chaouia - Ouardigha, street construction in Berrechid has become more connected. Berrechid ranked 5th in 1975, 4th in 1976-1990, 5th in 1991-2000 and 6th in 2001-2014.

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

How do development practices in Berrechid fare in comparison to others in Morocco? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Berrechid was the 36th-most disconnected out of the 61 cities in Morocco. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Morocco, street construction in Berrechid has become more disconnected. Berrechid ranked 52nd in 1975, 40th in 1976-1990, 45th in 1991-2000 and 36th in 2001-2014.

Berrechid and Chaouia - Ouardigha do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Berrechid rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Chaouia - Ouardigha followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase.

To date, Berrechid is the 6th-most disconnected out of the 6 cities in Chaouia - Ouardigha. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Chaouia - Ouardigha, the street network in Berrechid has become more connected. Berrechid ranked 5th in 1975, 6th in 1976-1990, 5th in 1991-2000 and 6th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Berrechid is the 49th-most disconnected out of the 61 cities in Morocco. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Morocco, the street network in Berrechid has become more disconnected. Berrechid ranked 52nd in 1975, 52nd in 1976-1990, 52nd in 1991-2000 and 49th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Berrechid had a built-up area of 6.33 square kilometers, and a population of 146059 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: