Mixed-Use Index

Entropy is borrowed from information theory and has exactly the properties planners want in a mix measure: it is zero when a single use dominates, maximal when all uses are equally represented, symmetric across uses, and bounded between zero and one after normalising by the log of the number of categories. That makes it directly interpretable as a balance score and comparable across areas of different size, which is why it became the default diversity term in walkability research.

Entropy measures aggregate balance — how evenly the total land is split among uses within a unit — but ignores where each use sits. The dissimilarity index is spatial: it scores how often a developed cell is next to a different use, capturing fine-grained interspersion. Two areas can have identical entropy yet very different dissimilarity if one segregates uses into big single-use blocks while the other interleaves them parcel by parcel.

No. The index measures the degree of mix, not its quality. A high score can reflect a balance of compatible, mutually supporting uses, or it can reflect heavy industry sitting next to homes. The metric is silent on compatibility, design, and amenity, so it should be read as one descriptive input alongside qualitative judgement rather than as a verdict that more mix is always better.