Street-network Sprawl in Chichawatni, 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.

Chichawatni: 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 Chichawatni, Pakistan on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Chichawatni as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.62, 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 1.97, 3.23, 7.07 and 2.65. Street construction in Chichawatni increased in disconnectivity initially but has since improved. The streets constructed in 1991-2000 were the most disconnected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Chichawatni spans a total of 113 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.97, 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 1.97, 2.2, 2.62 and 2.62. The aggregate street network in Chichawatni increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 2000.

Chichawatni and Punjab follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Chichawatni fare in comparison to others in Punjab? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Chichawatni was the 40th-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 Chichawatni has become more connected. Chichawatni ranked 30th in 1975, 27th in 1976-1990, 4th in 1991-2000 and 40th in 2001-2014.

Chichawatni and Pakistan follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Chichawatni fare in comparison to others in Pakistan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Chichawatni was the 71st-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 Chichawatni has become more disconnected. Chichawatni ranked 77th in 1975, 59th in 1976-1990, 11th in 1991-2000 and 71st in 2001-2014.

Chichawatni and Punjab do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Chichawatni peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Punjab rose steadily.

To date, Chichawatni is the 39th-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 Chichawatni has become more connected. Chichawatni ranked 30th in 1975, 43rd in 1976-1990, 35th in 1991-2000 and 39th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Chichawatni is the 101st-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 Chichawatni has become more connected. Chichawatni ranked 77th in 1975, 103rd in 1976-1990, 90th in 1991-2000 and 101st in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Chichawatni had a built-up area of 5.56 square kilometers, and a population of 83323 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: