Street-network Sprawl in Danu Phyu, 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.

Danu Phyu: city in Ayeyarwady, 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 Danu Phyu, Myanmar on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Danu Phyu as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.72, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.01, 2.26, 0.28 and 2.42. Disconnectivity in street construction in Danu Phyu follows a zig-zag trend. In 1975, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 2001-2014.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Danu Phyu spans a total of 31 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 2.42, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness.

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 0.01, 0.36, 0.39 and 1.72. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Danu Phyu has become more disconnected.

Danu Phyu and Ayeyarwady do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Danu Phyu followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Ayeyarwady rose steadily.

How do development practices in Danu Phyu fare in comparison to others in Ayeyarwady? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Danu Phyu was the 12th-most disconnected out of the 21 cities in Ayeyarwady. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Ayeyarwady, street construction in Danu Phyu has become more connected. Danu Phyu ranked 11th in 1975, 8th in 1976-1990, 13th in 1991-2000 and 12th in 2001-2014.

Danu Phyu and Myanmar do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Danu Phyu followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Myanmar was at its lowest in 1991-2000.

How do development practices in Danu Phyu fare in comparison to others in Myanmar? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Danu Phyu was the 42nd-most disconnected out of the 107 cities in Myanmar. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Myanmar, street construction in Danu Phyu has become more disconnected. Danu Phyu ranked 78th in 1975, 39th in 1976-1990, 69th in 1991-2000 and 42nd in 2001-2014.

Danu Phyu and Ayeyarwady follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

To date, Danu Phyu is the 15th-most disconnected out of the 21 cities in Ayeyarwady. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Ayeyarwady, the street network in Danu Phyu has become more connected. Danu Phyu ranked 11th in 1975, 16th in 1976-1990, 18th in 1991-2000 and 15th in 2001-2014.

Danu Phyu and Myanmar do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Danu Phyu rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Myanmar was at its lowest in 1991-2000.

To date, Danu Phyu is the 70th-most disconnected out of the 107 cities in Myanmar. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Myanmar, the street network in Danu Phyu has become more disconnected. Danu Phyu ranked 78th in 1975, 94th in 1976-1990, 99th in 1991-2000 and 70th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Danu Phyu had a built-up area of 0.51 square kilometers, and a population of 140490 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: