Comparisons
Sabah vs. the other two most closely populated regions in Malaysia: Pulau Pinang and Johor
Sabah in context: Street-network sprawl of new development
The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Sabah rose steadily. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Sabah, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau. Out of the three cities, Sandakan does not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Sandakan peaked in 1991-2005.
How do development practices in Sabah fare in comparison to others in Malaysia? Most recently in 2006-2020, street construction in Sabah was the 13th-most disconnected out of the 13 regions in Malaysia. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Sabah ranked 13th in 1975, 13th in 1976-1990, 13th in 1991-2005 and 13th in 2006-2020.
Sabah in context: Aggregate street-network sprawl
As of 2020, the city with the most disconnected street network in Sabah is Kota Kinabalu with an SNDi of 6.65, which is very sprawly. Conversely, the most connected city is Sandakan with an SNDi of 5.48, which is very sprawly. See trends for these cities: Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu
The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Sabah rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Sabah, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau. Out of the three cities, Sandakan does not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Sandakan peaked in 1991-2005.
To date, Sabah is the 13th-most disconnected out of the 13 regions in Malaysia. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Sabah ranked 13th in 1975, 13th in 1976-1990, 13th in 1991-2005 and 13th in 2006-2020.