Street-network Sprawl in Nowshera, Pakistan

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.

Nowshera: city in N.W.F.P., Pakistan

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 Nowshera, Pakistan on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Nowshera as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 4.96, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 4.72, 4.82, 5.58 and 6.16. In each period, new street development in Nowshera steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Nowshera spans a total of 322 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 4.82, 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 4.72, 4.78, 4.83 and 4.96. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Nowshera has become more disconnected.

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

How do development practices in Nowshera fare in comparison to others in N.W.F.P.? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Nowshera was the 7th-most disconnected out of the 41 cities in N.W.F.P.. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in N.W.F.P., street construction in Nowshera has become more disconnected. Nowshera ranked 9th in 1975, 9th in 1976-1990, 7th in 1991-2000 and 7th in 2001-2014.

Nowshera and Pakistan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Nowshera rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Pakistan peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Nowshera fare in comparison to others in Pakistan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Nowshera was the 18th-most disconnected out of the 198 cities in Pakistan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Pakistan, street construction in Nowshera has become more disconnected. Nowshera ranked 21st in 1975, 16th in 1976-1990, 18th in 1991-2000 and 18th in 2001-2014.

Nowshera and N.W.F.P. do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Nowshera rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in N.W.F.P. was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, Nowshera is the 13th-most disconnected out of the 41 cities in N.W.F.P.. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in N.W.F.P., the street network in Nowshera has become more connected. Nowshera ranked 9th in 1975, 12th in 1976-1990, 11th in 1991-2000 and 13th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Nowshera is the 25th-most disconnected out of the 198 cities in Pakistan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Pakistan, the street network in Nowshera has become more connected. Nowshera ranked 21st in 1975, 23rd in 1976-1990, 24th in 1991-2000 and 25th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Nowshera had a built-up area of 11.3 square kilometers, and a population of 376681 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: