Street-network Sprawl in Khon Kaen, Thailand

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.

Khon Kaen: city in Thailand

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 Khon Kaen, Thailand on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Khon Kaen as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 4.38, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 3.42, 3.64, 5.58 and 6.18. In each period, new street development in Khon Kaen steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Khon Kaen spans a total of 709 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 3.64, 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 3.42, 3.53, 3.98 and 4.38. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Khon Kaen has become more disconnected.

Khon Kaen and Khon Kaen do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Khon Kaen rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Khon Kaen was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

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

Khon Kaen and Thailand follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi for both of these rose steadily.

How do development practices in Khon Kaen fare in comparison to others in Thailand? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Khon Kaen was the 27th-most disconnected out of the 42 cities in Thailand. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Thailand, street construction in Khon Kaen has become more connected. Khon Kaen ranked 19th in 1975, 34th in 1976-1990, 24th in 1991-2000 and 27th in 2001-2014.

Khon Kaen and Khon Kaen do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Khon Kaen rose steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Khon Kaen was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

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

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

To date, Khon Kaen is the 29th-most disconnected out of the 42 cities in Thailand. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Thailand, the street network in Khon Kaen has become more connected. Khon Kaen ranked 19th in 1975, 34th in 1976-1990, 31st in 1991-2000 and 29th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Khon Kaen had a built-up area of 26.89 square kilometers, and a population of 154057 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: