Street-network Sprawl in Okinawa, Japan

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.

Okinawa: region in Japan

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 Okinawa, Japan on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Okinawa as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.53, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.48, 1.44, nan and 2.12. Data was not available in 1991-2000.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Okinawa spans a total of 9990 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 1.44, 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 1.48, 1.44, 1.44 and 1.53. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Okinawa has worsened in disconnectivity since 1990.

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

How do development practices in Okinawa fare in comparison to others in Japan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Okinawa was the 36th-most disconnected out of the 44 regions in Japan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Japan, street construction in Okinawa has become more connected. Okinawa ranked 23rd in 1975, 36th in 1976-1990 and 36th in 2001-2014. There was no ranking in 1991-2000 due to unavailable data.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Okinawa is Naha with an SNDi of 1.44, which is relatively well-connected. Conversely, the most connected city is Naha with an SNDi of 1.44, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Naha, Naha

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Okinawa was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Okinawa, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Naha. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Naha was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, Okinawa is the 27th-most disconnected out of the 44 regions in Japan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Japan, the street network in Okinawa has become more connected. Okinawa ranked 23rd in 1975, 26th in 1976-1990, 28th in 1991-2000 and 27th in 2001-2014.