Street-network Sprawl in Lubbock, 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.

Lubbock: city in Texas, 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 Lubbock, United States on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Lubbock as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.76, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.15, 2.42, 3.09 and 3.91. In each period, new street development in Lubbock steadily grows more disconnected than in the last. This increase has slowed: between 1975 and 1976-1990, SNDi rose by 1.27 points, but between 1991-2000 and 2001-2014, it rose by just 0.83.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Lubbock spans a total of 1748 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.15, 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 1.15, 1.32, 1.46 and 1.76. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Lubbock has become more disconnected.

Lubbock and Texas follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

How do development practices in Lubbock fare in comparison to others in Texas? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Lubbock was the 18th-most disconnected out of the 26 cities in Texas. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Texas, street construction in Lubbock has become more disconnected. Lubbock ranked 20th in 1975, 18th in 1976-1990, 24th in 1991-2000 and 18th in 2001-2014.

Lubbock and United States do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Lubbock rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in United States peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Lubbock fare in comparison to others in United States? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Lubbock was the 249th-most disconnected out of the 315 cities in United States. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in United States, street construction in Lubbock has become more disconnected. Lubbock ranked 289th in 1975, 288th in 1976-1990, 287th in 1991-2000 and 249th in 2001-2014.

Lubbock and Texas follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

To date, Lubbock is the 17th-most disconnected out of the 26 cities in Texas. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Texas, the street network in Lubbock has become more disconnected. Lubbock ranked 20th in 1975, 20th in 1976-1990, 19th in 1991-2000 and 17th in 2001-2014.

Lubbock and United States follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

To date, Lubbock is the 279th-most disconnected out of the 315 cities in United States. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in United States, the street network in Lubbock has become more disconnected. Lubbock ranked 289th in 1975, 297th in 1976-1990, 295th in 1991-2000 and 279th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Lubbock had a built-up area of 106.09 square kilometers, and a population of 206987 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: