Street-network Sprawl in Mersin, Turkey

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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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Mersin: 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 Mersin, Turkey on the sprawlmap

How have Mersin's street networks changed over time?

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Mersin as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.37, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.78, 0.93, 2.47 and 2.76. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Mersin fell, then rose. In 1976-1990, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Mersin spans a total of 7113 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 0.93, 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 1.78, 1.09, 1.24 and 1.37. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Mersin has worsened in disconnectivity since 1990.

Mersin in context: Street-network sprawl of new development

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Mersin was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Mersin, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Mersin and Tarsus. Disconnectivity in the most populous cities in Mersin follow the same region trend.

How do development practices in Mersin fare in comparison to others in Turkey? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Mersin was the 48th-most disconnected out of the 71 regions in Turkey. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Turkey, street construction in Mersin has become more connected. Mersin ranked 47th in 1975, 66th in 1976-1990, 40th in 1991-2000 and 48th in 2001-2014.

Mersin in context: Aggregate street-network sprawl

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Mersin is Tarsus with an SNDi of 0.81, which is relatively well-connected. Conversely, the most connected city is Mersin with an SNDi of 0.53, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Mersin, Tarsus

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Mersin was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Mersin, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Mersin and Tarsus. Disconnectivity in the most populous cities in Mersin follow the same region trend.

To date, Mersin is the 66th-most disconnected out of the 71 regions in Turkey. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Turkey, the street network in Mersin has become more connected. Mersin ranked 47th in 1975, 66th in 1976-1990, 66th in 1991-2000 and 66th in 2001-2014.

Cities in Mersin

• Mersin
• Tarsus