Street-network Sprawl in Ash Sharqiyah South, Oman

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.

Ash Sharqiyah South: region in Oman

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 Ash Sharqiyah South, Oman on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Ash Sharqiyah South as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.26, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 3.71, 3.3, 3.49 and 2.55. Disconnectivity in street construction in Ash Sharqiyah South follows a zig-zag trend. In 2001-2014, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1975.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Ash Sharqiyah South spans a total of 501 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 3.3, which is highly disconnected.

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 3.71, 3.52, 3.52 and 3.26. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has fallen: the street network in Ash Sharqiyah South has become more connected. This decrease has quickened: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi fell by 0.19 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it fell by just 0.26.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Ash Sharqiyah South followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Ash Sharqiyah South, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Balad Bani Bu Ali and Sur. Out of the two cities, Sur does not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Sur peaked in 1976-1990.

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

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Ash Sharqiyah South is Sur with an SNDi of 2.91, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness. Conversely, the most connected city is Balad Bani Bu Ali with an SNDi of 2.72, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness. See trends for these cities: Balad Bani Bu Ali, Sur

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Ash Sharqiyah South fell steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Ash Sharqiyah South, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Balad Bani Bu Ali and Sur. Out of the two cities, Sur does not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Sur peaked in 1976-1990.

To date, Ash Sharqiyah South is the 4th-most disconnected out of the 6 regions in Oman. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Ash Sharqiyah South ranked 4th in 1975, 4th in 1976-1990, 4th in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014.