Comparisons
Northern vs. the other two most closely populated regions in Zambia: Luapula and Eastern
Northern in context: Street-network sprawl of new development
The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Northern followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Northern, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Kasama, Mpulungu and Mbala. Out of the three cities, Kasama and Mbala do not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Kasama rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Mbala was at its lowest in 1976-1990.
How do development practices in Northern fare in comparison to others in Zambia? Most recently in 2006-2020, street construction in Northern was the 4th-most disconnected out of the 10 regions in Zambia. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Zambia, street construction in Northern has become more disconnected. Northern ranked 7th in 1975, 6th in 1976-1990, 3rd in 1991-2005 and 4th in 2006-2020.
Northern in context: Aggregate street-network sprawl
As of 2020, the city with the most disconnected street network in Northern is Kasama with an SNDi of 2.59, which is relatively well-connected. Conversely, the most connected city is Mbala with an SNDi of 1.82, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: Mbala, Kasama
The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Northern followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Northern, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Kasama, Mpulungu and Mbala. Out of the three cities, Kasama and Mbala do not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Kasama rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Mbala was at its lowest in 1976-1990.
To date, Northern is the 6th-most disconnected out of the 10 regions in Zambia. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Zambia, the street network in Northern has become more disconnected. Northern ranked 7th in 1975, 7th in 1976-1990, 6th in 1991-2005 and 6th in 2006-2020.