Street-network Sprawl in Pennsylvania, 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.

Pennsylvania: region in 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 Pennsylvania, United States on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Pennsylvania as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.21, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 2.32, 4.5, 5.72 and 5.45. Street construction in Pennsylvania increased in disconnectivity initially but has since improved. The streets constructed in 1991-2000 were the most disconnected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Pennsylvania spans a total of 187164 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 2.32, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness.

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 2.32, 2.82, 3.04 and 3.21. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Pennsylvania has become more disconnected. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 0.51 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.17.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Pennsylvania peaked in 1991-2000. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Pennsylvania, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown. Out of the three cities, Pittsburgh does not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Pittsburgh rose steadily.

How do development practices in Pennsylvania fare in comparison to others in United States? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Pennsylvania was the 26th-most disconnected out of the 46 regions in United States. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in United States, street construction in Pennsylvania has become more disconnected. Pennsylvania ranked 33rd in 1975, 24th in 1976-1990, 24th in 1991-2000 and 26th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Pennsylvania is West Chester with an SNDi of 3.75, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is State College with an SNDi of 1.03, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: State College, West Chester

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Pennsylvania rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Pennsylvania, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown. Disconnectivity in the most populous cities in Pennsylvania follow the same region trend.

To date, Pennsylvania is the 34th-most disconnected out of the 46 regions in United States. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in United States, the street network in Pennsylvania has become more connected. Pennsylvania ranked 33rd in 1975, 33rd in 1976-1990, 34th in 1991-2000 and 34th in 2001-2014.