Street-network Sprawl in Umm Ruwaba, 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.

Umm Ruwaba: city in North Kurdufan, 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 Umm Ruwaba, Sudan on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Umm Ruwaba as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 0.36, which is very well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are -0.15, 0.15, 1.45 and -0.08. Street construction in Umm Ruwaba 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 Umm Ruwaba spans a total of 274 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 0.15, 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 -0.15, 0.1, 0.5 and 0.36. The aggregate street network in Umm Ruwaba increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 2000.

Umm Ruwaba and North Kurdufan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Umm Ruwaba peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in North Kurdufan followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase.

How do development practices in Umm Ruwaba fare in comparison to others in North Kurdufan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Umm Ruwaba was the 4th-most disconnected out of the 4 cities in North Kurdufan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in North Kurdufan, street construction in Umm Ruwaba has become more connected. Umm Ruwaba ranked 3rd in 1975, 4th in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014.

Umm Ruwaba 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 Umm Ruwaba fare in comparison to others in Sudan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Umm Ruwaba was the 52nd-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 Umm Ruwaba has become more connected. Umm Ruwaba ranked 29th in 1975, 31st in 1976-1990, 10th in 1991-2000 and 52nd in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Umm Ruwaba is the 2nd-most disconnected out of the 4 cities in North Kurdufan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in North Kurdufan, the street network in Umm Ruwaba has become more disconnected. Umm Ruwaba ranked 3rd in 1975, 4th in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 2nd in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Umm Ruwaba is the 42nd-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 Umm Ruwaba has become more connected. Umm Ruwaba ranked 29th in 1975, 38th in 1976-1990, 23rd in 1991-2000 and 42nd in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Umm Ruwaba had a built-up area of 2.49 square kilometers, and a population of 470698 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: