Street-network Sprawl in Madrid, 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.

Madrid: city in Comunidad de Madrid, 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 Madrid, Spain on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Madrid as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.89, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.46, 1.82, 1.44 and 1.09. Street construction in Madrid increased in disconnectivity initially but has since improved. The streets constructed in 1976-1990 were the most disconnected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Madrid spans a total of 9750 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 0.46, 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 0.46, 0.85, 0.89 and 0.89. The aggregate street network in Madrid increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 2000.

Madrid and Comunidad de Madrid do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Madrid peaked in 1976-1990, while the SNDi of street constructions in Comunidad de Madrid peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Madrid fare in comparison to others in Comunidad de Madrid? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Madrid was the 2nd-most disconnected out of the 3 cities in Comunidad de Madrid. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Comunidad de Madrid, street construction in Madrid has become more disconnected. Madrid ranked 3rd in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 3rd in 1991-2000 and 2nd in 2001-2014.

Madrid and Spain do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Madrid peaked in 1976-1990, while the SNDi of street constructions in Spain peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Madrid fare in comparison to others in Spain? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Madrid was the 50th-most disconnected out of the 72 cities in Spain. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Spain, street construction in Madrid has become more connected. Madrid ranked 43rd in 1975, 30th in 1976-1990, 41st in 1991-2000 and 50th in 2001-2014.

Madrid and Comunidad de Madrid follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these peaked in 1991-2000.

To date, Madrid is the 3rd-most disconnected out of the 3 cities in Comunidad de Madrid. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Madrid ranked 3rd in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 3rd in 1991-2000 and 3rd in 2001-2014.

Madrid and Spain do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Madrid peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Spain rose steadily.

To date, Madrid is the 36th-most disconnected out of the 72 cities in Spain. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Spain, the street network in Madrid has become more disconnected. Madrid ranked 43rd in 1975, 35th in 1976-1990, 34th in 1991-2000 and 36th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Madrid had a built-up area of 388.35 square kilometers, and a population of 4894294 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population:

For some related information about population, urban extent and density, and roads, visit the Atlas of Urban Expansion.