Street-network Sprawl in Faisalabad, 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.

Faisalabad: 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 Faisalabad, Pakistan on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Faisalabad as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.72, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.63, 2.07, 2.43 and 4.15. In each period, new street development in Faisalabad steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Faisalabad spans a total of 3077 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.63, 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 1.63, 1.67, 1.67 and 1.72. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Faisalabad has become more disconnected.

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

How do development practices in Faisalabad fare in comparison to others in Punjab? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Faisalabad was the 19th-most disconnected out of the 99 cities in Punjab. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Punjab, street construction in Faisalabad has become more disconnected. Faisalabad ranked 40th in 1975, 49th in 1976-1990, 31st in 1991-2000 and 19th in 2001-2014.

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

How do development practices in Faisalabad fare in comparison to others in Pakistan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Faisalabad was the 41st-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 Faisalabad has become more disconnected. Faisalabad ranked 91st in 1975, 99th in 1976-1990, 59th in 1991-2000 and 41st in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Faisalabad is the 64th-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 Faisalabad has become more connected. Faisalabad ranked 40th in 1975, 60th in 1976-1990, 62nd in 1991-2000 and 64th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Faisalabad is the 137th-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 Faisalabad has become more connected. Faisalabad ranked 91st in 1975, 130th in 1976-1990, 134th in 1991-2000 and 137th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Faisalabad had a built-up area of 146.25 square kilometers, and a population of 3563007 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: