Street-network Sprawl in United Arab Emirates

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.

United Arab Emirates

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 United Arab Emirates on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in United Arab Emirates as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.88, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.72, 1.39, 2.29 and 2.82. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in United Arab Emirates fell, then rose. In 1976-1990, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in United Arab Emirates spans a total of 20839 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.72, 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 1.72, 1.67, 1.72 and 1.88. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but United Arab Emirates has worsened in disconnectivity since 1990.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in United Arab Emirates was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how street development has changed in United Arab Emirates, we can consider three of its most populous regions: Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al-Khaimah. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Dubai rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Abu Dhabi followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Ras Al-Khaimah rose steadily.

How do development practices in United Arab Emirates fare in comparison to others in the world? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in United Arab Emirates was the 132nd-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 United Arab Emirates has become more connected. United Arab Emirates ranked 127th in 1975, 143rd in 1976-1990, 138th in 1991-2000 and 132nd in 2001-2014.

The largest city in United Arab Emirates is Dubai, with a population of 4909500 people. Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Dubai as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.8, which is relatively well-connected. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Dubai was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in United Arab Emirates is Green Community West with an SNDi of 3.93, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Madinat Zayed with an SNDi of 0.32, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: Madinat Zayed, Green Community West

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in United Arab Emirates was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in United Arab Emirates, we can consider three of its most populous regions: Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al-Khaimah. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Dubai rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Abu Dhabi rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Ras Al-Khaimah rose steadily.

To date, United Arab Emirates is the 141st-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 United Arab Emirates has become more connected. United Arab Emirates ranked 127th in 1975, 140th in 1976-1990, 142nd in 1991-2000 and 141st in 2001-2014.

The largest city in United Arab Emirates is Dubai, with a population of 4909500 people. Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Dubai as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.8, which is relatively well-connected. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Dubai was at its lowest in 1976-1990.