Street-network Sprawl in Bhai Pheru, 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.

Bhai Pheru: city in Punjab, 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 Bhai Pheru, Pakistan on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Bhai Pheru as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is -0.7, which is very well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.11, -0.69, -3.42 and -0.94. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Bhai Pheru fell, then rose. In 1991-2000, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Bhai Pheru spans a total of 42 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of -0.69, which is very 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 0.11, -0.5, -0.82 and -0.7. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Bhai Pheru has worsened in disconnectivity since 2000.

Bhai Pheru and Punjab do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Bhai Pheru was at its lowest in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Punjab peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Bhai Pheru fare in comparison to others in Punjab? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Bhai Pheru was the 74th-most disconnected out of the 99 cities in Punjab. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Punjab, street construction in Bhai Pheru has become more connected. Bhai Pheru ranked 62nd in 1975, 80th in 1976-1990, 61st in 1991-2000 and 74th in 2001-2014.

Bhai Pheru and Pakistan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Bhai Pheru was at its lowest in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Pakistan peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Bhai Pheru fare in comparison to others in Pakistan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Bhai Pheru was the 141st-most disconnected out of the 198 cities in Pakistan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Pakistan, street construction in Bhai Pheru has become more connected. Bhai Pheru ranked 122nd in 1975, 154th in 1976-1990, 102nd in 1991-2000 and 141st in 2001-2014.

Bhai Pheru and Punjab do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Bhai Pheru was at its lowest in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Punjab rose steadily.

To date, Bhai Pheru is the 93rd-most disconnected out of the 99 cities in Punjab. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Punjab, the street network in Bhai Pheru has become more connected. Bhai Pheru ranked 62nd in 1975, 84th in 1976-1990, 92nd in 1991-2000 and 93rd in 2001-2014.

Bhai Pheru and Pakistan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Bhai Pheru was at its lowest in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Pakistan rose steadily.

To date, Bhai Pheru is the 192nd-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 Bhai Pheru has become more connected. Bhai Pheru ranked 122nd in 1975, 170th in 1976-1990, 183rd in 1991-2000 and 192nd in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Bhai Pheru had a built-up area of 1.67 square kilometers, and a population of 90696 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: