Street-network Sprawl in Trujillo, Venezuela

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.

Trujillo: region in Venezuela

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 Trujillo, Venezuela on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Trujillo as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.81, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 3.65, nan, 4.64 and 4.08. Data was not available in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Trujillo spans a total of 3508 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 3.65, 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 3.65, 3.65, 3.76 and 3.81. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Trujillo has become more disconnected.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Trujillo followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Trujillo, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Valera and Boconó. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Valera followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Boconó followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase.

How do development practices in Trujillo fare in comparison to others in Venezuela? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Trujillo was the 21st-most disconnected out of the 24 regions in Venezuela. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Venezuela, street construction in Trujillo has become more connected. Trujillo ranked 12th in 1975, 15th in 1991-2000 and 21st in 2001-2014. There was no ranking in 1976-1990 due to unavailable data.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Trujillo is Valera with an SNDi of 4.5, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Boconó with an SNDi of 2.43, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness. See trends for these cities: Boconó, Valera

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Trujillo rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Trujillo, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Valera and Boconó. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Valera rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Boconó rose steadily.

To date, Trujillo is the 13th-most disconnected out of the 24 regions in Venezuela. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Venezuela, the street network in Trujillo has become more connected. Trujillo ranked 12th in 1975, 12th in 1976-1990, 13th in 1991-2000 and 13th in 2001-2014.