Street-network Sprawl in Heilongjiang, 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.

Heilongjiang: region in 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 Heilongjiang, China on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Heilongjiang as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.45, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 3.5, 3.81, 3.02 and 2.82. Street construction in Heilongjiang increased in disconnectivity initially but has since improved. The streets constructed in 1976-1990 were the most disconnected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Heilongjiang spans a total of 78471 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 3.5, 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 3.5, 3.6, 3.54 and 3.45. The aggregate street network in Heilongjiang increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 1990.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Heilongjiang peaked in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Heilongjiang, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Harbin, Qiqihar and Mudanjiang. Out of the three cities, Qiqihar and Mudanjiang do not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Qiqihar followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Mudanjiang peaked in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Heilongjiang fare in comparison to others in China? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Heilongjiang was the 22nd-most disconnected out of the 34 regions in China. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in China, street construction in Heilongjiang has become more connected. Heilongjiang ranked 11th in 1975, 8th in 1976-1990, 16th in 1991-2000 and 22nd in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Heilongjiang is Longjiang with an SNDi of 5.92, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Zhaozhou with an SNDi of 0.08, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: Zhaozhou, Longjiang

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Heilongjiang peaked in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Heilongjiang, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Harbin, Qiqihar and Mudanjiang. Out of the three cities, Qiqihar and Mudanjiang do not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Qiqihar followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Mudanjiang peaked in 1991-2000.

To date, Heilongjiang is the 11th-most disconnected out of the 34 regions in China. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Heilongjiang ranked 11th in 1975, 13th in 1976-1990, 13th in 1991-2000 and 11th in 2001-2014.