Street-network Sprawl in Cataluña, Spain

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.

Cataluña: region in Spain

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 Cataluña, Spain on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Cataluña as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.74, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.01, 2.44, 3.11 and 3.12. In each period, new street development in Cataluña steadily grows more disconnected than in the last. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 1.43 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.01.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Cataluña spans a total of 52522 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 2.44, 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 1.01, 1.53, 1.65 and 1.74. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Cataluña has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.52 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.09.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Cataluña rose steadily. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Cataluña, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Barcelona, Girona and Tarragona. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Barcelona peaked in 1976-1990. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Girona followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Tarragona followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase.

How do development practices in Cataluña fare in comparison to others in Spain? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Cataluña was the 7th-most disconnected out of the 18 regions in Spain. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Spain, street construction in Cataluña has become more disconnected. Cataluña ranked 12th in 1975, 8th in 1976-1990, 9th in 1991-2000 and 7th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Cataluña is Manresa with an SNDi of 0.93, which is relatively well-connected. Conversely, the most connected city is Igualada with an SNDi of 0.03, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: Igualada, Manresa

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Cataluña rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Cataluña, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Barcelona, Girona and Tarragona. Disconnectivity in the most populous cities in Cataluña follow the same region trend.

To date, Cataluña is the 13th-most disconnected out of the 18 regions in Spain. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Spain, the street network in Cataluña has become more connected. Cataluña ranked 12th in 1975, 12th in 1976-1990, 12th in 1991-2000 and 13th in 2001-2014.