Street-network Sprawl in Temecula, United States

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.

Temecula: city in California, United States

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 Temecula, United States on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Temecula as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 5.7, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 5.61, 5.86, 5.43 and 5.98. Disconnectivity in street construction in Temecula follows a zig-zag trend. In 1991-2000, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 2001-2014.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Temecula spans a total of 1248 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1991-2000. These roads have an SNDi of 5.43, 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 5.61, 5.82, 5.6 and 5.7. Disconnectivity in Temecula's street network follows a zig-zag trend. In 1991-2000, the city was most disconnected; while it was most connected in 1976-1990.

Temecula and California do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Temecula followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in California peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Temecula fare in comparison to others in California? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Temecula was the 8th-most disconnected out of the 48 cities in California. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in California, street construction in Temecula has become more connected. Temecula ranked 2nd in 1975, 8th in 1976-1990, 17th in 1991-2000 and 8th in 2001-2014.

Temecula and United States do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Temecula followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in United States peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Temecula fare in comparison to others in United States? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Temecula was the 95th-most disconnected out of the 315 cities in United States. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in United States, street construction in Temecula has become more connected. Temecula ranked 7th in 1975, 62nd in 1976-1990, 163rd in 1991-2000 and 95th in 2001-2014.

Temecula and California do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Temecula followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in California rose steadily.

To date, Temecula is the 2nd-most disconnected out of the 48 cities in California. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Temecula ranked 2nd in 1975, 2nd in 1976-1990, 3rd in 1991-2000 and 2nd in 2001-2014.

Temecula and United States do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Temecula followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in United States rose steadily.

To date, Temecula is the 13th-most disconnected out of the 315 cities in United States. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in United States, the street network in Temecula has become more connected. Temecula ranked 7th in 1975, 8th in 1976-1990, 14th in 1991-2000 and 13th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Temecula had a built-up area of 84.02 square kilometers, and a population of 231017 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: