Street-network Sprawl in Ma'anshan, China

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.

Ma'anshan: city in Anhui, China

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 Ma'anshan, China on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Ma'anshan as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.99, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 2.1, 2.31, 1.19 and 2.1. Disconnectivity in street construction in Ma'anshan follows a zig-zag trend. In 1991-2000, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Ma'anshan spans a total of 724 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 2.1, 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 2.1, 2.17, 1.95 and 1.99. Disconnectivity in Ma'anshan's street network follows a zig-zag trend. In 1991-2000, the city was most disconnected; while it was most connected in 1976-1990.

Ma'anshan and Anhui do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Ma'anshan followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease, while the SNDi of street constructions in Anhui fell steadily.

How do development practices in Ma'anshan fare in comparison to others in Anhui? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Ma'anshan was the 11th-most disconnected out of the 65 cities in Anhui. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Anhui, street construction in Ma'anshan has become more disconnected. Ma'anshan ranked 14th in 1975, 13th in 1976-1990, 20th in 1991-2000 and 11th in 2001-2014.

Ma'anshan and China follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease.

How do development practices in Ma'anshan fare in comparison to others in China? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Ma'anshan was the 645th-most disconnected out of the 1651 cities in China. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in China, street construction in Ma'anshan has become more connected. Ma'anshan ranked 468th in 1975, 523rd in 1976-1990, 724th in 1991-2000 and 645th in 2001-2014.

Ma'anshan and Anhui do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Ma'anshan followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease, while the SNDi of street constructions in Anhui fell steadily.

To date, Ma'anshan is the 12th-most disconnected out of the 65 cities in Anhui. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Anhui, the street network in Ma'anshan has become more disconnected. Ma'anshan ranked 14th in 1975, 13th in 1976-1990, 15th in 1991-2000 and 12th in 2001-2014.

Ma'anshan and China do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Ma'anshan followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease, while the SNDi of street constructions in China peaked in 1976-1990.

To date, Ma'anshan is the 707th-most disconnected out of the 1651 cities in China. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in China, the street network in Ma'anshan has become more connected. Ma'anshan ranked 468th in 1975, 582nd in 1976-1990, 684th in 1991-2000 and 707th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Ma'anshan had a built-up area of 52.29 square kilometers, and a population of 648975 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: