Woonerf
Encyclopedia
A woonerf in the Netherlands
and Flanders
is a street
where pedestrian
s and cyclists have legal priority over motorists. The techniques of shared space
s, traffic calming
, and low speed limit
s are intended to improve pedestrian, bicycle, and automobile safety.
In Germany
, similar zones are termed Verkehrsberuhigter Bereich (litt. "traffic calming area"). Under German traffic law motorists in a Verkehrsberuhigter Bereich are restricted to a maximum speed of 7 km/h, pedestrians, including children, may use the entire street and children are permitted to play in the street.
Woonerfs are planned for Toronto
, where they have been approved for the West Don Lands
community and are being discussed for Queen's Quay along the waterfront, and for Montreal
, where one will replace an alley covering the former course of the St-Pierre river in Saint-Henri
.
In the United Kingdom
, similar areas are known as home zone
s, but do not enjoy similar protection in law. Examples of UK practice include Staiths South Bank
in Gateshead
, which at over 600 homes was the largest newbuild home zone
development in the UK at the time it received planning consent. Most contemporary UK schemes have involved public realm works to existing streets in older Victorian housing areas, often to meet regeneration or traffic calming objectives.
In Massachusetts, a pedestrian priority zone has been implemented in Downtown Crossing
in Boston, and a woonerf is planned for Union Square in Somerville
.
principles as a way of rethinking the woonerf. They are reported to "now know that car drivers should become residents. Eye contact and human interaction are more effective means to achieve and maintain attractive and safe areas than signs and rules".
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
is a street
Street
A street is a paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable...
where pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
s and cyclists have legal priority over motorists. The techniques of shared space
Shared space
Shared space is an urban design concept aimed at integrated use of public spaces. It encourages traffic engineers, urban planners and experts from other fields to consult with users of public space when planning and designing streets and squares in both built and non-built environments...
s, traffic calming
Traffic calming
Traffic calming is intended to slow or reduce motor-vehicle traffic in order to improve the living conditions for residents as well as to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Urban planners and traffic engineers have many strategies for traffic calming...
, and low speed limit
Speed limit
Road speed limits are used in most countries to regulate the speed of road vehicles. Speed limits may define maximum , minimum or no speed limit and are normally indicated using a traffic sign...
s are intended to improve pedestrian, bicycle, and automobile safety.
By country
In 1999 the Netherlands had over 6000 woonerfs. Under Article 44 of the Dutch traffic code, motorised traffic in a woonerf or "recreation area" is restricted to walking pace.In Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, similar zones are termed Verkehrsberuhigter Bereich (litt. "traffic calming area"). Under German traffic law motorists in a Verkehrsberuhigter Bereich are restricted to a maximum speed of 7 km/h, pedestrians, including children, may use the entire street and children are permitted to play in the street.
Woonerfs are planned for Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, where they have been approved for the West Don Lands
West Don Lands
The West Don Lands are the site of a planned neighbourhood under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The area is bordered by the Don River, King Street, Parliament Street and the rail line adjacent to the Gardiner Expressway....
community and are being discussed for Queen's Quay along the waterfront, and for Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, where one will replace an alley covering the former course of the St-Pierre river in Saint-Henri
Saint-Henri
Saint-Henri is a neighbourhood in southwestern Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the borough of Le Sud-Ouest.Saint-Henri is usually considered to be bounded to the east by avenue Atwater, to the west by Autoroute 15, to the north by Autoroute 720, and to the south by the Lachine Canal.- Description...
.
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, similar areas are known as home zone
Home zone
Home Zone is a term used in the United Kingdom for a residential street or group of streets that are designed primarily to meet the interests of the local community, whether they are on foot, cycling, or in a car, enabling the street to operate primarily as a space for social use...
s, but do not enjoy similar protection in law. Examples of UK practice include Staiths South Bank
Staiths South Bank
Staiths South Bank is a part completed housing development in Gateshead, England, designed in collaboration with fashion designers Wayne & Gerardine Hemingway, .-Location:...
in Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
, which at over 600 homes was the largest newbuild home zone
Home zone
Home Zone is a term used in the United Kingdom for a residential street or group of streets that are designed primarily to meet the interests of the local community, whether they are on foot, cycling, or in a car, enabling the street to operate primarily as a space for social use...
development in the UK at the time it received planning consent. Most contemporary UK schemes have involved public realm works to existing streets in older Victorian housing areas, often to meet regeneration or traffic calming objectives.
In Massachusetts, a pedestrian priority zone has been implemented in Downtown Crossing
Downtown Crossing
Downtown Crossing is a shopping district in Boston, Massachusetts, located due east of Boston Common and west of the Financial District. It features large department stores as well as restaurants, music stores, souvenir sellers, general retail establishments, and many street vendors...
in Boston, and a woonerf is planned for Union Square in Somerville
Union Square (Somerville)
Union Square is a neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts, located around the intersection of Washington Street and Somerville Avenue, about half a mile from Inman Square in neighboring Cambridge. The name "Union Square" comes from the square having been used as a recruitment and mustering site...
.
Woonerf revisited
The locality of Hesselterbrink in Emmen, Netherlands, designed as a woonerf in 1970s, is reported to be disillusioned with the way the woonerf principle has become another traffic engineering measure that "entailed precious little more than signs and uniform standards". They have now encompassed the shared spaceShared space
Shared space is an urban design concept aimed at integrated use of public spaces. It encourages traffic engineers, urban planners and experts from other fields to consult with users of public space when planning and designing streets and squares in both built and non-built environments...
principles as a way of rethinking the woonerf. They are reported to "now know that car drivers should become residents. Eye contact and human interaction are more effective means to achieve and maintain attractive and safe areas than signs and rules".