Street-network Sprawl in Marrakesh, 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.

Marrakesh: city in Marrakech - Tensift - Al Haouz, 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 Marrakesh, Morocco on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Marrakesh as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.44, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.2, 2.24, 1.31 and 2.0. Disconnectivity in street construction in Marrakesh follows a zig-zag trend. In 1975, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Marrakesh spans a total of 896 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.2, 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 1.2, 1.41, 1.41 and 1.44. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Marrakesh has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.21 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.03.

Marrakesh and Marrakech - Tensift - Al Haouz 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 increase.

How do development practices in Marrakesh fare in comparison to others in Marrakech - Tensift - Al Haouz? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Marrakesh was the 1st-most disconnected out of the 4 cities in Marrakech - Tensift - Al Haouz. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Marrakesh ranked 1st in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

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

How do development practices in Marrakesh fare in comparison to others in Morocco? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Marrakesh was the 25th-most disconnected out of the 61 cities in Morocco. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Morocco, street construction in Marrakesh has become more connected. Marrakesh ranked 22nd in 1975, 9th in 1976-1990, 31st in 1991-2000 and 25th in 2001-2014.

Marrakesh and Marrakech - Tensift - Al Haouz do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Marrakesh rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Marrakech - Tensift - Al Haouz followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase.

To date, Marrakesh is the 1st-most disconnected out of the 4 cities in Marrakech - Tensift - Al Haouz. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Marrakesh ranked 1st in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Marrakesh is the 23rd-most disconnected out of the 61 cities in Morocco. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Morocco, the street network in Marrakesh has become more connected. Marrakesh ranked 22nd in 1975, 23rd in 1976-1990, 24th in 1991-2000 and 23rd in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Marrakesh had a built-up area of 18.94 square kilometers, and a population of 947497 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population:

For some related information about population, urban extent and density, and roads, visit the Atlas of Urban Expansion.