Street-network Sprawl in Tarlac, Philippines

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.

Tarlac: region in Philippines

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 Tarlac, Philippines on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Tarlac as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 4.19, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 3.59, 4.49, 3.9 and 4.62. Disconnectivity in street construction in Tarlac 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 Tarlac spans a total of 5158 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 4.49, 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 3.59, 4.23, 4.17 and 4.19. Disconnectivity in Tarlac's street network follows a zig-zag trend. In 1975, the region was most disconnected; while it was most connected in 1976-1990.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Tarlac followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Tarlac, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Tarlac City and Bamban. Out of the two cities, Bamban does not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Bamban followed a zig-zag trend.

How do development practices in Tarlac fare in comparison to others in Philippines? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Tarlac was the 48th-most disconnected out of the 51 regions in Philippines. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Philippines, street construction in Tarlac has become more connected. Tarlac ranked 26th in 1975, 31st in 1976-1990, 48th in 1991-2000 and 48th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Tarlac is Tarlac City with an SNDi of 4.38, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Bamban with an SNDi of 3.29, which is highly disconnected. See trends for these cities: Bamban, Tarlac City

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Tarlac followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Tarlac, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Tarlac City and Bamban. Out of the two cities, Bamban does not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Bamban followed a zig-zag trend.

To date, Tarlac is the 38th-most disconnected out of the 51 regions in Philippines. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Philippines, the street network in Tarlac has become more connected. Tarlac ranked 26th in 1975, 27th in 1976-1990, 34th in 1991-2000 and 38th in 2001-2014.