Street-network Sprawl in Kengtung, 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.

Kengtung: city in Shan, 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 Kengtung, Myanmar on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Kengtung as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.57, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 1.82, 5.43, 2.09 and 5.49. Disconnectivity in street construction in Kengtung 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 Kengtung spans a total of 121 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 1.82, 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 1.82, 2.23, 2.21 and 2.57. Disconnectivity in Kengtung's street network follows a zig-zag trend. In 1975, the city was most disconnected; while it was most connected in 2001-2014.

Kengtung and Shan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Kengtung followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Shan was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Kengtung fare in comparison to others in Shan? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Kengtung was the 3rd-most disconnected out of the 17 cities in Shan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Shan, street construction in Kengtung has become more disconnected. Kengtung ranked 6th in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 8th in 1991-2000 and 3rd in 2001-2014.

Kengtung and Myanmar do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Kengtung 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 Kengtung fare in comparison to others in Myanmar? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Kengtung was the 6th-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 Kengtung has become more disconnected. Kengtung ranked 41st in 1975, 6th in 1976-1990, 36th in 1991-2000 and 6th in 2001-2014.

Kengtung and Shan do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Kengtung followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase, while the SNDi of street constructions in Shan was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, Kengtung is the 4th-most disconnected out of the 17 cities in Shan. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Shan, the street network in Kengtung has become more disconnected. Kengtung ranked 6th in 1975, 6th in 1976-1990, 6th in 1991-2000 and 4th in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Kengtung is the 38th-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 Kengtung has become more disconnected. Kengtung ranked 41st in 1975, 40th in 1976-1990, 41st in 1991-2000 and 38th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Kengtung had a built-up area of 2.45 square kilometers, and a population of 144780 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: