Street-network Sprawl in Dipolog, 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.

Dipolog: city in Zamboanga del Norte, 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 Dipolog, Philippines on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Dipolog as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 1.91, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 0.26, 2.44, 6.36 and 4.82. Street construction in Dipolog increased in disconnectivity initially but has since improved. The streets constructed in 1991-2000 were the most disconnected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Dipolog spans a total of 105 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 2.44, 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 0.26, 0.74, 1.41 and 1.91. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Dipolog has become more disconnected.

Dipolog and Zamboanga del Norte do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Dipolog peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Zamboanga del Norte was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Dipolog fare in comparison to others in Zamboanga del Norte? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Dipolog was the 1st-most disconnected out of the 1 cities in Zamboanga del Norte. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Dipolog ranked 1st in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

Dipolog and Philippines do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Dipolog peaked in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Philippines rose steadily.

How do development practices in Dipolog fare in comparison to others in Philippines? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Dipolog was the 52nd-most disconnected out of the 89 cities in Philippines. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other cities in Philippines, street construction in Dipolog has become more disconnected. Dipolog ranked 80th in 1975, 77th in 1976-1990, 19th in 1991-2000 and 52nd in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Dipolog is the 1st-most disconnected out of the 1 cities in Zamboanga del Norte. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Dipolog ranked 1st in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

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

To date, Dipolog is the 85th-most disconnected out of the 89 cities in Philippines. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Philippines, the street network in Dipolog has become more connected. Dipolog ranked 80th in 1975, 87th in 1976-1990, 87th in 1991-2000 and 85th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Dipolog had a built-up area of 3.8 square kilometers, and a population of 108335 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: