Street-network Sprawl in Lâm Đồng, 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.

Lâm Đồng: 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 Lâm Đồng, Vietnam on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Lâm Đồng as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 4.43, which is highly disconnected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 3.88, 3.2, 4.2 and 5.03. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Lâm Đồng fell, then rose. In 1976-1990, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Lâm Đồng spans a total of 4857 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 2001-2014. These roads have an SNDi of 5.03, 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 3.88, 3.55, 3.79 and 4.43. The SNDi of the aggregate street network in fell at first, but Lâm Đồng has worsened in disconnectivity since 1990.

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Lâm Đồng was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Lâm Đồng, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Dalat, Bảo Lộc and Đinh Văn. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Dalat peaked in 1991-2000. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Bảo Lộc rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Đinh Văn followed a zig-zag trend.

How do development practices in Lâm Đồng fare in comparison to others in Vietnam? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Lâm Đồng was the 7th-most disconnected out of the 59 regions in Vietnam. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Vietnam, street construction in Lâm Đồng has become more disconnected. Lâm Đồng ranked 12th in 1975, 23rd in 1976-1990, 14th in 1991-2000 and 7th in 2001-2014.

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Lâm Đồng is Dalat with an SNDi of 4.59, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Liên Khương with an SNDi of 2.25, which is relatively well-connected. See trends for these cities: Liên Khương, Dalat

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Lâm Đồng was at its lowest in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Lâm Đồng, we can consider three of its most populous cities: Dalat, Bảo Lộc and Đinh Văn. None of the most populous cities follow the same trend as the region. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Dalat rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Bảo Lộc rose steadily. The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Đinh Văn followed a zig-zag trend.

To date, Lâm Đồng is the 10th-most disconnected out of the 59 regions in Vietnam. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has risen; relative to other regions in Vietnam, the street network in Lâm Đồng has become more disconnected. Lâm Đồng ranked 12th in 1975, 20th in 1976-1990, 16th in 1991-2000 and 10th in 2001-2014.