Street-network Sprawl in Primor'ye, Russia

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.

Primor'ye: region in Russia

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 Primor'ye, Russia on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Primor'ye as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.37, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 2.48, 3.54, 4.96 and 6.62. In each period, new street development in Primor'ye steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Primor'ye spans a total of 10621 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed prior to 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 2.48, 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 2.48, 2.83, 2.99 and 3.37. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Primor'ye has become more disconnected.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Primor'ye rose steadily. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Primor'ye, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Vladivostok, Ussurijsk and Nahodka. Out of the three cities, Ussurijsk and Nahodka do not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Ussurijsk followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Nahodka was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Primor'ye fare in comparison to others in Russia? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Primor'ye was the 16th-most disconnected out of the 79 regions in Russia. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Russia, street construction in Primor'ye has become more disconnected. Primor'ye ranked 57th in 1975, 57th in 1976-1990, 40th in 1991-2000 and 16th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Primor'ye is Nahodka with an SNDi of 3.67, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Vladivostok with an SNDi of 0.73, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Vladivostok, Nahodka

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Primor'ye rose steadily. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Primor'ye, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Vladivostok, Ussurijsk and Nahodka. Out of the three cities, Ussurijsk and Nahodka do not follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Ussurijsk followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Nahodka was at its lowest in 1991-2000.

To date, Primor'ye is the 57th-most disconnected out of the 79 regions in Russia. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Primor'ye ranked 57th in 1975, 64th in 1976-1990, 65th in 1991-2000 and 57th in 2001-2014.