- The Mixed-use Index (MXI) as Instrument for anti Sprawl Policy    692 kb by    van den Hoek, Joost W. | joost.vandenhoek@inbo.com    Short Outline Research shows that the MXI is a valid indicator to characterize urban development in terms of urbanity, liveliness, and sustainability. The generic character of the MXI implies a global usefulness for design, analysis and policy. Abstract This paper contributes to the anti sprawl discussion by providing a new tool called MXI (mixed use index). The MXI is a policy instrument next to indexes like FSI and OSR to describe processes of urbanization in general terms. The use and the meaning of the MXI is being tested in both academic context at TU Delft and the practical context of Amsterdam projects like Amsterdam ZuidAs and the Red-light district. The traditional characteristics of the compact European City characterized by Thomas Sieverts as; density, liveliness, mixed use, small grains and ecological balance, are often described as remedies against sprawl. The question in this paper is how the characteristic of mixed use can be achieved through policy and by what instruments it can be controlled and validated. Research shows that the MXI (defined as the proportion of housing versus non-housing floors within a specified area) is a valid indicator to characterize districts in terms of urbanity, liveliness, social safety etc. . When combined with FSI the MXI provides for a strong determination of all types of urban districts imaginable. As we can read in the writings of Robert Bruegmann, scepsis on anti-sprawl measures is widely present when it comes to implementation by planning and design. A generic tool like the MXI can be instrumental in controlling urban development on an abstract level. In the practical context of Amsterdam the MXI is used to analyze projects and to keep an elementary balance in the program as basis for the design process. The generic character of the MXI implies a global usefulness for design, analysis and policy. Joost W. van den Hoek (1972) holds master degrees in architecture and urbanism (with distinction). He is a senior urban planner at Inbo.com, and a PhD candidate at TU Delft. Keywords mixed-use anti-sprawl compact city urban-design Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2008: Urban Growth without Sprawl   Click to open the full paper as pdf document   Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper