Street-network Sprawl in Shan, 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.

Shan: region in 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 Shan, Myanmar on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Shan as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.99, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 3.55, 3.54, 4.57 and 4.73. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Shan fell, then rose. In 1976-1990, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Shan spans a total of 10040 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1991-2000. These roads have an SNDi of 4.57, 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 3.55, 3.55, 3.9 and 3.99. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Shan has worsened in disconnectivity since 1990.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Shan was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Shan, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Taunggyi, Lashio and Tachileik. Out of the three cities, Taunggyi and Lashio do not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Taunggyi peaked in 1991-2000. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Lashio rose steadily.

How do development practices in Shan fare in comparison to others in Myanmar? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Shan was the 6th-most disconnected out of the 14 regions in Myanmar. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Myanmar, street construction in Shan has become more connected. Shan ranked 5th in 1975, 6th in 1976-1990, 5th in 1991-2000 and 6th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Shan is Tangyan with an SNDi of 5.39, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Nyaung Shwe with an SNDi of 0.71, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Nyaung Shwe, Tangyan

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Shan was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Shan, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Taunggyi, Lashio and Tachileik. Out of the three cities, Taunggyi and Lashio do not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Taunggyi rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Lashio rose steadily.

To date, Shan is the 6th-most disconnected out of the 14 regions in Myanmar. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Myanmar, the street network in Shan has become more connected. Shan ranked 5th in 1975, 7th in 1976-1990, 5th in 1991-2000 and 6th in 2001-2014.