Street-network Sprawl in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

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.

Makkah: region in Saudi Arabia

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 Makkah, Saudi Arabia on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Makkah as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.6, 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 2.36, 2.71, 3.03 and 2.92. Street construction in Makkah 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 Makkah spans a total of 20924 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 2.92, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness.

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 2.36, 2.48, 2.53 and 2.6. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Makkah has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.12 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.07.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Makkah peaked in 1991-2000. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Makkah, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Jeddah, Mecca and At Taif. Out of the three cities, Jeddah and Mecca do not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Jeddah rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Mecca followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase.

How do development practices in Makkah fare in comparison to others in Saudi Arabia? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Makkah was the 5th-most disconnected out of the 12 regions in Saudi Arabia. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Saudi Arabia, street construction in Makkah has become more disconnected. Makkah ranked 6th in 1975, 2nd in 1976-1990, 6th in 1991-2000 and 5th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Makkah is Bahrah with an SNDi of 3.33, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Qunfudhah with an SNDi of -0.15, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: Qunfudhah, Bahrah

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Makkah rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Makkah, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Jeddah, Mecca and At Taif. Out of the three cities, Mecca does not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Mecca followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase.

To date, Makkah is the 4th-most disconnected out of the 12 regions in Saudi Arabia. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Saudi Arabia, the street network in Makkah has become more disconnected. Makkah ranked 6th in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 4th in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014.