North West: region in South Africa
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 North West, South Africa on the sprawlmap
Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in North West as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.33, 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 2.0, 2.18, 2.28 and 2.78. In each period, new street development in North West steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.
Quantity of street network construction: The street network in North West spans a total of 35741 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 2.78, 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 2.0, 2.14, 2.18 and 2.33. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in North West has become more disconnected.
The level of street-network sprawl in new development in North West rose steadily. To get a sense of how street development has changed in North West, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Rustenburg, Potchefstroom and Mafikeng. Out of the three cities, Potchefstroom and Mafikeng do not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Potchefstroom peaked in 1991-2000. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Mafikeng was at its lowest in 1991-2000.
How do development practices in North West fare in comparison to others in South Africa? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in North West was the 8th-most disconnected out of the 9 regions in South Africa. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in South Africa, street construction in North West has become more connected. North West ranked 7th in 1975, 8th in 1976-1990, 8th in 1991-2000 and 8th in 2001-2014.
As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in North West is Rustenburg with an SNDi of 4.37, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Mafikeng with an SNDi of 2.02, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Mafikeng, Rustenburg
The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in North West rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in North West, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Rustenburg, Potchefstroom and Mafikeng. Out of the three cities, Mafikeng does not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Mafikeng fell steadily.
To date, North West is the 8th-most disconnected out of the 9 regions in South Africa. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in South Africa, the street network in North West has become more connected. North West ranked 7th in 1975, 8th in 1976-1990, 8th in 1991-2000 and 8th in 2001-2014.