Street-network Sprawl in Katta-Kurgan, Uzbekistan

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.

Katta-Kurgan: city in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

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 Katta-Kurgan, Uzbekistan on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Katta-Kurgan as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.81, 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 2.87, 2.86, 3.78 and 2.02. Disconnectivity in street construction in Katta-Kurgan follows a zig-zag trend. In 2001-2014, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1991-2000.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Katta-Kurgan spans a total of 334 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 2.87, 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 2.87, 2.84, 2.85 and 2.81. Disconnectivity in Katta-Kurgan's street network follows a zig-zag trend. In 2001-2014, the city was most disconnected; while it was most connected in 1975.

Katta-Kurgan and Samarkand do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Katta-Kurgan followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease, while the SNDi of street constructions in Samarkand was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Katta-Kurgan fare in comparison to others in Samarkand? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Katta-Kurgan was the 5th-most disconnected out of the 5 cities in Samarkand. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Samarkand, street construction in Katta-Kurgan has become more connected. Katta-Kurgan ranked 2nd in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 2nd in 1991-2000 and 5th in 2001-2014.

Katta-Kurgan and Uzbekistan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Katta-Kurgan followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease, while the SNDi of street constructions in Uzbekistan was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Katta-Kurgan fare in comparison to others in Uzbekistan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Katta-Kurgan was the 42nd-most disconnected out of the 56 cities in Uzbekistan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Uzbekistan, street construction in Katta-Kurgan has become more connected. Katta-Kurgan ranked 21st in 1975, 21st in 1976-1990, 15th in 1991-2000 and 42nd in 2001-2014.

Katta-Kurgan and Samarkand do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Katta-Kurgan followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease, while the SNDi of street constructions in Samarkand was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, Katta-Kurgan is the 3rd-most disconnected out of the 5 cities in Samarkand. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Samarkand, the street network in Katta-Kurgan has become more connected. Katta-Kurgan ranked 2nd in 1975, 4th in 1976-1990, 3rd in 1991-2000 and 3rd in 2001-2014.

Katta-Kurgan and Uzbekistan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Katta-Kurgan followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease, while the SNDi of street constructions in Uzbekistan was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, Katta-Kurgan is the 23rd-most disconnected out of the 56 cities in Uzbekistan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Uzbekistan, the street network in Katta-Kurgan has become more connected. Katta-Kurgan ranked 21st in 1975, 22nd in 1976-1990, 22nd in 1991-2000 and 23rd in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Katta-Kurgan had a built-up area of 26.58 square kilometers, and a population of 153433 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: