Land Use Mix Calculator
A land-use mix index from the share of land in each use — the entropy measure planners use to say whether a neighbourhood is genuinely mixed or just labelled that way.
Mix is measured with an entropy index: zero when everything is one use, one when every use has an equal share.
How the land use mix calculator works
Mix is measured with an entropy index: zero when everything is one use, one when every use has an equal share. It is the standard measure in walkability and travel research because it captures balance, not just the number of uses present.
A neighbourhood that is 90% residential with a corner shop scores low even though it has two uses. Real mix needs each use to hold a meaningful share.
Formula: mix = −Σ pᵢ ln pᵢ / ln(n)
Worked examples
| Inputs | Mix index (0 to 1) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| A mixed inner suburb | 0.8078 | index about 0.8 |
| A dormitory suburb | 0.3083 | weakly mixed |
| Perfectly balanced | 1 | index exactly 1 |
FAQFrequently asked questions
What is a land-use mix index?
An entropy measure of how evenly land is spread across uses. Zero is single-use; one is perfectly balanced across all five.
Why entropy rather than counting uses?
Because two uses at 95/5 is not mixed in any way that matters for walking or travel. Entropy weights each use by its share.
What score counts as mixed?
Above about 0.55 in most research. Highly mixed inner areas reach 0.8; single-use suburbs sit below 0.3.
Does mix reduce car use?
Consistently, in the research — along with density and street connectivity. It is one of the three Ds that predict travel behaviour.
Should every neighbourhood aim for 1?
No. A balanced mix at the scale of a suburb is good; forcing industry into every block is not. The index describes, it does not prescribe.
Where these figures come from
- UN-Habitat — Urban Indicators Guidelines — density, green space and public space benchmarks
- World Health Organization — Urban green spaces — the 9 m² per person minimum
- ITE — Parking Generation Manual — parking demand rates by land use
- US Census Bureau — Population and housing — the US national statistics agency
Last checked: September 2026. Default per-capita rates are mid-range figures from national statistical agencies and utility reports; every one is an input you should replace with the local figure.