Street-network Sprawl in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

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.

Ashgabat: city in Aşgabat, Turkmenistan

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 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Ashgabat as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.75, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.92, 2.0, 1.2 and 1.6. Disconnectivity in street construction in Ashgabat follows a zig-zag trend. In 1991-2000, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Ashgabat spans a total of 1166 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.92, 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 1.92, 1.95, 1.77 and 1.75. The aggregate street network in Ashgabat increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 1990.

Ashgabat and Aşgabat follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease.

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

Ashgabat and Turkmenistan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Ashgabat followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease, while the SNDi of street constructions in Turkmenistan rose steadily.

How do development practices in Ashgabat fare in comparison to others in Turkmenistan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Ashgabat was the 7th-most disconnected out of the 10 cities in Turkmenistan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Turkmenistan, street construction in Ashgabat has become more connected. Ashgabat ranked 3rd in 1975, 4th in 1976-1990, 6th in 1991-2000 and 7th in 2001-2014.

Ashgabat and Aşgabat follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these peaked in 1976-1990.

To date, Ashgabat is the 1st-most disconnected out of the 1 cities in Aşgabat. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Ashgabat ranked 1st in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

Ashgabat and Turkmenistan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Ashgabat peaked in 1976-1990, while the SNDi of street constructions in Turkmenistan rose steadily.

To date, Ashgabat is the 5th-most disconnected out of the 10 cities in Turkmenistan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Turkmenistan, the street network in Ashgabat has become more connected. Ashgabat ranked 3rd in 1975, 4th in 1976-1990, 5th in 1991-2000 and 5th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Ashgabat had a built-up area of 46.92 square kilometers, and a population of 803597 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: