Street-network Sprawl in Uganda


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.

Uganda

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 Uganda on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Uganda as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 4.14, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 4.21, 3.48, 3.9 and 4.33. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Uganda fell, then rose. In 1976-1990, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Uganda spans a total of 67430 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 4.33, which is highly disconnected.

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 4.21, 4.04, 4.02 and 4.14. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Uganda has worsened in disconnectivity since 2000.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Uganda was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Uganda, we can consider three of its most populous regions: Kampala, Arua and Iganga. Out of the three regions, Kampala and Iganga do not follow the same trend as the country. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Kampala rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Iganga rose steadily.

How do development practices in Uganda fare in comparison to others in the world? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Uganda was the 79th-most disconnected out of the 155 countries in the world. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other countries in the world, street construction in Uganda has become more connected. Uganda ranked 35th in 1975, 64th in 1976-1990, 89th in 1991-2000 and 79th in 2001-2014.

The largest city in Uganda is Kampala, with a population of 3483400 people. Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Kampala as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 5.15, which is highly disconnected. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Kampala peaked in 1991-2000.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Uganda is Sangano with an SNDi of 6.14, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Busesa with an SNDi of -0.76, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: Busesa, Sangano

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Uganda was at its lowest in 1991-2000. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Uganda, we can consider three of its most populous regions: Kampala, Arua and Iganga. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Kampala rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Arua was at its lowest in 1976-1990. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Iganga rose steadily.

To date, Uganda is the 47th-most disconnected out of the 155 countries in the world. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other countries in the world, the street network in Uganda has become more connected. Uganda ranked 35th in 1975, 44th in 1976-1990, 47th in 1991-2000 and 47th in 2001-2014.

The largest city in Uganda is Kampala, with a population of 3483400 people. Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Kampala as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 5.15, which is highly disconnected. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Kampala rose steadily.