Street-network Sprawl in Bình Phước, Vietnam

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.

Bình Phước: region in Vietnam

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 Bình Phước, Vietnam on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Bình Phước as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.47, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 2.81, 2.74, 3.22 and 3.55. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Bình Phước fell, then rose. In 1976-1990, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Bình Phước spans a total of 3209 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 3.55, 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 2.81, 2.75, 3.14 and 3.47. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Bình Phước has worsened in disconnectivity since 1990.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Bình Phước was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Bình Phước, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Đồng Xoài and Sơn Giang. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Đồng Xoài followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Sơn Giang followed a zig-zag trend with an overall increase.

How do development practices in Bình Phước fare in comparison to others in Vietnam? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Bình Phước was the 40th-most disconnected out of the 59 regions in Vietnam. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Vietnam, street construction in Bình Phước has become more connected. Bình Phước ranked 23rd in 1975, 31st in 1976-1990, 33rd in 1991-2000 and 40th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Bình Phước is Đồng Xoài with an SNDi of 3.82, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Sơn Giang with an SNDi of 1.64, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Sơn Giang, Đồng Xoài

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Bình Phước was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Bình Phước, we can consider two of its most populous cities: Đồng Xoài and Sơn Giang. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Đồng Xoài followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Sơn Giang rose steadily.

To date, Bình Phước is the 28th-most disconnected out of the 59 regions in Vietnam. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Vietnam, the street network in Bình Phước has become more connected. Bình Phước ranked 23rd in 1975, 28th in 1976-1990, 26th in 1991-2000 and 28th in 2001-2014.