Street-network Sprawl in Călărași, Romania

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.

Călărași: region in Romania

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 Călărași, Romania on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Călărași as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.66, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.36, 1.61, 2.19 and 2.9. In each period, new street development in Călărași steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Călărași spans a total of 4089 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 1.61, 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 1.36, 1.55, 1.58 and 1.66. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Călărași has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.19 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.08.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Călărași rose steadily. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Călărași, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Călărași and Oltenița. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Călărași followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Oltenița followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease.

How do development practices in Călărași fare in comparison to others in Romania? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Călărași was the 26th-most disconnected out of the 28 regions in Romania. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Romania, street construction in Călărași has become more connected. Călărași ranked 25th in 1975, 28th in 1976-1990, 28th in 1991-2000 and 26th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Călărași is Călărași with an SNDi of 1.19, which is relatively well-connected. Conversely, the most connected city is Oltenița with an SNDi of 0.2, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: Oltenița, Călărași

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Călărași rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Călărași, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Călărași and Oltenița. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Călărași rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Oltenița fell steadily.

To date, Călărași is the 27th-most disconnected out of the 28 regions in Romania. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Romania, the street network in Călărași has become more connected. Călărași ranked 25th in 1975, 27th in 1976-1990, 27th in 1991-2000 and 27th in 2001-2014.