Street-network Sprawl in Khashm El Girba, 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.

Khashm El Girba: city in Al Qadarif, 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 Khashm El Girba, Sudan on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Khashm El Girba as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.98, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are -0.01, 0.04, 0.29 and 1.93. In each period, new street development in Khashm El Girba steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Khashm El Girba spans a total of 108 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 1.93, 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 -0.01, 0.02, 0.19 and 0.98. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Khashm El Girba has become more disconnected.

Khashm El Girba and Al Qadarif do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Khashm El Girba rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Al Qadarif followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase.

How do development practices in Khashm El Girba fare in comparison to others in Al Qadarif? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Khashm El Girba was the 1st-most disconnected out of the 4 cities in Al Qadarif. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Al Qadarif, street construction in Khashm El Girba has become more disconnected. Khashm El Girba ranked 2nd in 1975, 2nd in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

Khashm El Girba and Sudan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Khashm El Girba rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Sudan peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Khashm El Girba fare in comparison to others in Sudan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Khashm El Girba was the 8th-most disconnected out of the 63 cities in Sudan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Sudan, street construction in Khashm El Girba has become more disconnected. Khashm El Girba ranked 25th in 1975, 34th in 1976-1990, 25th in 1991-2000 and 8th in 2001-2014.

Khashm El Girba and Al Qadarif do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Khashm El Girba rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Al Qadarif peaked in 1976-1990.

To date, Khashm El Girba is the 1st-most disconnected out of the 4 cities in Al Qadarif. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Al Qadarif, the street network in Khashm El Girba has become more disconnected. Khashm El Girba ranked 2nd in 1975, 2nd in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

Khashm El Girba and Sudan follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

To date, Khashm El Girba is the 20th-most disconnected out of the 63 cities in Sudan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Sudan, the street network in Khashm El Girba has become more disconnected. Khashm El Girba ranked 25th in 1975, 40th in 1976-1990, 35th in 1991-2000 and 20th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Khashm El Girba had a built-up area of 1.37 square kilometers, and a population of 114137 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: