Street-network Sprawl in Myanmar

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.

Myanmar

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 Myanmar on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Myanmar as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.55, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 3.28, 3.22, 2.92 and 4.47. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Myanmar fell, then rose. In 1991-2000, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Myanmar spans a total of 86805 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 4.47, 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 3.28, 3.25, 3.14 and 3.55. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Myanmar has worsened in disconnectivity since 2000.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Myanmar was at its lowest in 1991-2000. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Myanmar, we can consider three of its most populous regions: Yangon, Mandalay and Ayeyarwady. Out of the three regions, Ayeyarwady does not follow the same trend as the country. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Ayeyarwady rose steadily.

How do development practices in Myanmar fare in comparison to others in the world? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Myanmar was the 70th-most disconnected out of the 155 countries in the world. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other countries in the world, street construction in Myanmar has become more connected. Myanmar ranked 57th in 1975, 81st in 1976-1990, 125th in 1991-2000 and 70th in 2001-2014.

The largest city in Myanmar is Yangon, with a population of 5686200 people. Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Yangon as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.94, which is relatively well-connected. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Yangon was at its lowest in 1991-2000.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Myanmar is yedgy with an SNDi of 7.17, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Kyonpyaw with an SNDi of 0.12, which is very well-connected. See trends for these cities: Kyonpyaw, yedgy

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Myanmar was at its lowest in 1991-2000. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Myanmar, we can consider three of its most populous regions: Yangon, Mandalay and Ayeyarwady. Out of the three regions, Ayeyarwady does not follow the same trend as the country. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Ayeyarwady rose steadily.

To date, Myanmar is the 69th-most disconnected out of the 155 countries in the world. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other countries in the world, the street network in Myanmar has become more connected. Myanmar ranked 57th in 1975, 71st in 1976-1990, 85th in 1991-2000 and 69th in 2001-2014.

The largest city in Myanmar is Yangon, with a population of 5686200 people. Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Yangon as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.94, which is relatively well-connected. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Yangon was at its lowest in 1991-2000.