Street-network Sprawl in Rufaah, Sudan

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.

Rufaah: city in Al Jazirah, Sudan

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 Rufaah, Sudan on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Rufaah as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is -0.1, which is very well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are -0.38, -0.13, 0.11 and -0.12. Street construction in Rufaah 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 Rufaah spans a total of 101 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of -0.12, which is very 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 -0.38, -0.15, -0.07 and -0.1. The aggregate street network in Rufaah increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 2000.

Rufaah and Al Jazirah do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Rufaah peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Al Jazirah was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Rufaah fare in comparison to others in Al Jazirah? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Rufaah was the 6th-most disconnected out of the 9 cities in Al Jazirah. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Rufaah ranked 6th in 1975, 8th in 1976-1990, 5th in 1991-2000 and 6th in 2001-2014.

Rufaah and Sudan follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Rufaah fare in comparison to others in Sudan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Rufaah was the 54th-most disconnected out of the 63 cities in Sudan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Sudan, street construction in Rufaah has become more connected. Rufaah ranked 30th in 1975, 39th in 1976-1990, 32nd in 1991-2000 and 54th in 2001-2014.

Rufaah and Al Jazirah do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Rufaah peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Al Jazirah was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, Rufaah is the 9th-most disconnected out of the 9 cities in Al Jazirah. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Al Jazirah, the street network in Rufaah has become more connected. Rufaah ranked 6th in 1975, 9th in 1976-1990, 9th in 1991-2000 and 9th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Rufaah is the 57th-most disconnected out of the 63 cities in Sudan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Sudan, the street network in Rufaah has become more connected. Rufaah ranked 30th in 1975, 44th in 1976-1990, 43rd in 1991-2000 and 57th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Rufaah had a built-up area of 0.61 square kilometers, and a population of 81939 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: