Street-network Sprawl in Los Cristianos, 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.

Los Cristianos: city in Islas Canarias, 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 Los Cristianos, Spain on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Los Cristianos as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.36, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.39, nan, nan and 0.41. Data was not available in 1976-1990 and 1991-2000.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Los Cristianos spans a total of 145 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.39, 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 1.39, 1.39, 1.39 and 1.36. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has fallen: the street network in Los Cristianos has become more connected. This decrease has quickened: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi fell by 0.0 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it fell by just 0.02.

Los Cristianos and Islas Canarias do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. There was not enough data from the city, as well as the Islas Canarias's street network construction.

How do development practices in Los Cristianos fare in comparison to others in Islas Canarias? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Los Cristianos was the 6th-most disconnected out of the 6 cities in Islas Canarias. Los Cristianos ranked 4th in 1975 and 6th in 2001-2014. There was no ranking in 1976-1990 and 1991-2000 due to unavailable data.

Los Cristianos and Spain do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. There was not enough data from the city, while the SNDi of street constructions in Spain peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Los Cristianos fare in comparison to others in Spain? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Los Cristianos was the 63rd-most disconnected out of the 72 cities in Spain. Los Cristianos ranked 20th in 1975 and 63rd in 2001-2014. There was no ranking in 1976-1990 and 1991-2000 due to unavailable data.

Los Cristianos and Islas Canarias do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Los Cristianos fell steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Islas Canarias rose steadily.

To date, Los Cristianos is the 4th-most disconnected out of the 6 cities in Islas Canarias. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Los Cristianos ranked 4th in 1975, 4th in 1976-1990, 4th in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014.

Los Cristianos and Spain do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Los Cristianos fell steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Spain rose steadily.

To date, Los Cristianos is the 25th-most disconnected out of the 72 cities in Spain. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Spain, the street network in Los Cristianos has become more connected. Los Cristianos ranked 20th in 1975, 23rd in 1976-1990, 25th in 1991-2000 and 25th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Los Cristianos had a built-up area of 6.53 square kilometers, and a population of 53000 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: