Street-network Sprawl in Liên Khương, 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.

Liên Khương: city in Lâm Đồng, 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 Liên Khương, Vietnam on the sprawlmap

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Liên Khương as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 2.25, which is relatively well-connected.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 3.0, 2.08, 1.86 and 2.28. The disconnectivity of new streets constructed in Liên Khương fell, then rose. In 1991-2000, new street layouts were the most connected.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Liên Khương spans a total of 137 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 2.08, which is relatively well-connected.

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 3.0, 2.34, 2.31 and 2.25. Overall, the SNDi of the aggregate street network has fallen: the street network in Liên Khương has become more connected.

Liên Khương and Lâm Đồng do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Liên Khương was at its lowest in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Lâm Đồng was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

How do development practices in Liên Khương fare in comparison to others in Lâm Đồng? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Liên Khương was the 5th-most disconnected out of the 5 cities in Lâm Đồng. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Lâm Đồng, street construction in Liên Khương has become more connected. Liên Khương ranked 3rd in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 4th in 1991-2000 and 5th in 2001-2014.

Liên Khương and Vietnam do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their street network constructions. The SNDi in Liên Khương was at its lowest in 1991-2000, while the SNDi of street constructions in Vietnam rose steadily.

How do development practices in Liên Khương fare in comparison to others in Vietnam? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Liên Khương was the 67th-most disconnected out of the 129 cities in Vietnam. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Vietnam, street construction in Liên Khương has become more connected. Liên Khương ranked 26th in 1975, 59th in 1976-1990, 70th in 1991-2000 and 67th in 2001-2014.

Liên Khương and Lâm Đồng do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Liên Khương fell steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Lâm Đồng was at its lowest in 1976-1990.

To date, Liên Khương is the 5th-most disconnected out of the 5 cities in Lâm Đồng. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Lâm Đồng, the street network in Liên Khương has become more connected. Liên Khương ranked 3rd in 1975, 3rd in 1976-1990, 3rd in 1991-2000 and 5th in 2001-2014.

Liên Khương and Vietnam do not follow the same trend in the disconnectivity of their aggregate street networks. The SNDi in Liên Khương fell steadily, while the SNDi of street constructions in Vietnam rose steadily.

To date, Liên Khương is the 68th-most disconnected out of the 129 cities in Vietnam. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other cities in Vietnam, the street network in Liên Khương has become more connected. Liên Khương ranked 26th in 1975, 48th in 1976-1990, 56th in 1991-2000 and 68th in 2001-2014.

As of 2015, Liên Khương had a built-up area of 4.08 square kilometers, and a population of 78290 people.

These are some other cities with approximately the same population: