Street-network Sprawl in Istanbul, Turkey

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.

Istanbul: region in Turkey

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 Istanbul, Turkey on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Istanbul as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.79, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.38, 1.75, 2.74 and 3.93. In each period, new street development in Istanbul steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Istanbul spans a total of 26120 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.38, 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 1.38, 1.48, 1.66 and 1.79. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Istanbul has become more disconnected.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Istanbul rose steadily. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Istanbul, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Istanbul, Arnavutköy and Sazlıbosna. Out of the three cities, Arnavutköy and Sazlıbosna do not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Arnavutköy was at its lowest in 1976-1990. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Sazlıbosna peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Istanbul fare in comparison to others in Turkey? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Istanbul was the 21st-most disconnected out of the 71 regions in Turkey. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Turkey, street construction in Istanbul has become more disconnected. Istanbul ranked 60th in 1975, 47th in 1976-1990, 34th in 1991-2000 and 21st in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Istanbul is Sırapınar with an SNDi of 4.71, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Istanbul with an SNDi of 1.45, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Istanbul, Sırapınar

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Istanbul rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Istanbul, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Istanbul, Arnavutköy and Sazlıbosna. Out of the three cities, Arnavutköy does not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Arnavutköy was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, Istanbul is the 53rd-most disconnected out of the 71 regions in Turkey. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Turkey, the street network in Istanbul has become more disconnected. Istanbul ranked 60th in 1975, 61st in 1976-1990, 55th in 1991-2000 and 53rd in 2001-2014.