Street-network Sprawl in Dapaong, Togo

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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:

• nodal degree
• dendricity, the tree-likeness of the street network
• circuity, the ratio of the distance by road to the straight-line distance of two locations on the street network
• sinuosity, the curviness of a street

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:

• Global trends toward urban street-network sprawl
• A global assessment of street-network sprawl

To see the state of street-network sprawl across the globe, visit the sprawlmap.

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Dapaong: city in Savanes, Togo

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 Dapaong, Togo on the sprawlmap

How have Dapaong's street networks changed over time?

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Dapaong as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.33, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are -0.89, 1.14, 1.29 and 2.02. In each period, new street development in Dapaong steadily grows more disconnected than in the last. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 2.02 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.73.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Dapaong spans a total of 134 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 2.02, 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 -0.89, 0.31, 0.83 and 1.33. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Dapaong has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 1.19 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.5.

Dapaong in context: Street-network sprawl of new development

Dapaong and Savanes follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

How do development practices in Dapaong fare in comparison to others in Savanes? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Dapaong was the 1st-most disconnected out of the 4 cities in Savanes. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Dapaong ranked 1st in 1975, 2nd in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

Dapaong and Togo follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

How do development practices in Dapaong fare in comparison to others in Togo? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Dapaong was the 10th-most disconnected out of the 20 cities in Togo. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Dapaong ranked 10th in 1975, 10th in 1976-1990, 7th in 1991-2000 and 10th in 2001-2014.

Dapaong in context: Aggregate street-network sprawl

Dapaong and Savanes follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

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

Dapaong and Togo follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

To date, Dapaong is the 10th-most disconnected out of the 20 cities in Togo. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Dapaong ranked 10th in 1975, 13th in 1976-1990, 12th in 1991-2000 and 10th in 2001-2014.

What about other similarly-populated cities?

As of 2015, Dapaong had a built-up area of 0.24 square kilometers, and a population of 159457 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population:

• Limassol, Cyprus
• 岳池县, China
• Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina