Street-network Sprawl in Udon Thani, 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.

Udon Thani: 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 Udon Thani, Thailand on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Udon Thani as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 4.26, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 3.2, 4.1, 4.93 and 6.27. In each period, new street development in Udon Thani steadily grows more disconnected than in the last.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Udon Thani spans a total of 623 kilometers. The period with the greatest volume of street construction was 1975. These roads have an SNDi of 3.2, 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 3.2, 3.57, 3.81 and 4.26. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has risen: the street network in Udon Thani has become more disconnected.

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

Udon Thani 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 Udon Thani fare in comparison to others in Thailand? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Udon Thani was the 25th-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 Udon Thani has become more connected. Udon Thani ranked 22nd in 1975, 29th in 1976-1990, 34th in 1991-2000 and 25th in 2001-2014.

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

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

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

To date, Udon Thani is the 30th-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 Udon Thani has become more connected. Udon Thani ranked 22nd in 1975, 33rd in 1976-1990, 33rd in 1991-2000 and 30th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Udon Thani had a built-up area of 24.99 square kilometers, and a population of 149983 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: