Objectives in Detail

HOW MIX CAN BE FURTHER ENHANCED

MIX is the foundation for vibrant and inclusive neighborhoods for all families. With diverse activities and opportunities located nearby, caregivers can walk to essential services, reducing their time and money costs. Clustering childhood services, like healthcare or daycare facilities, and locating them near housing, jobs, markets, public transport stations, and other frequent destinations can make trips short, multipurpose, and efficient for caregivers. A MIX of opportunities served by sustainable transport networks can enable access by walking, cycling, or public transport in under 15 minutes.

Flexible shared use of public space and facilities can also provide opportunities to improve MIX. For example, schoolyards can be open to the public after hours to serve local residents when communities lack access to formal parks and playgrounds. Public parks can also serve as locations for fresh food and produce or pop-up child-oriented services. These might include libraries or mobile health clinics, such as “pediatricians on wheels.”

Protecting local opportunities helps neighborhoods remain inclusive. Policies can be devised to maintain housing and commercial affordability and continuity of tenure, especially for children-oriented facilities (public and private) and local retail and services (e.g., quality grocery stores).

An underutilized facility in Tirana, Albania, has been transformed to house a neighborhood library and a pharmacy, accessible to families living nearby (before, above; after, below).