Employment Mix
Meaning:
Employment mix measures how balanced or diverse the types of jobs are within a given area — particularly the ratio between retail employment (like stores, restaurants, and services) and office or non-retail employment (like professional services, manufacturing, or institutions).
Purpose in Walkability:
- A higher employment mix means people can meet more of their daily needs (shopping, errands, services) close to where they work.
- Areas with mostly one type of employment (e.g., only offices or only retail) are less walkable because they lack functional diversity.
In other words:
Employment mix reflects the balance of work-related destinations, which affects whether an area supports walking for errands and services during or after work hours.