Woonerf
Awoonerf(Dutch pronunciation:[ˈʋoːnɛr(ə)f]) is aliving street,as originally implemented in theNetherlandsand inFlanders(Belgium). Techniques includeshared space,traffic calming,and lowspeed limits.
The termwoonerfhas been adopted directly by some English-language publications. In the United Kingdom, these areas are calledhome zones.
Etymology
[edit]The word, of Dutch origin, literally translates as'living yard'[1]or'residential grounds'.[2]
History
[edit]
Since the invention of automobiles, cities have been predominantly constructed to accommodate the use of automobiles.[3]
Thewoonerfwas created by residents of Delft who tore up pavement late at night to make it so cars had to drive slower to avoid the obstacles.[4]Thewoonerven(plural) was incorporated into the national street design standards in 1976.[4]
The entire locality ofEmmenin the Netherlands was designed as awoonerfin the 1970s.[5]
In 1999 the Netherlands had over 6000woonerven[6]and today around 2 million Dutch people are living inwoonerven.[7]The benefits of thewoonerfare promoted bywoonERFgoed,a network of professionals and residents.[8]
In 2006 it was reported that people in Hesselterbrink, a neighborhood of Emmen, were disillusioned about how thewoonerfprinciple had become another traffic engineering measure that "entailed precious little more than signs and uniform standards". They have now adopted theshared spaceprinciples as a way of rethinking thewoonerf.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".[5] [9]
Regulation
[edit]Belgium
[edit]
Belgian traffic regulation (art. 2.32)[10]defines thewoonerfand the generic erf, and their traffic sign. Thewoonerfhas a residential focus; the erf can have other primary uses like “crafts, trade, tourism, education and recreation”.
In art. 22bis,[11]the Belgian traffic regulation describes what is and what isn’t allowed in a (woon)erf:
Within erven and woonerven:
- Pedestrians can use the full width of the public road; and playing is also allowed.
- Drivers may not endanger pedestrians or hinder them; if necessary they must stop. Furthermore they need to be twice as careful regarding children. Pedestrians may not obstruct traffic unnecessarily.
- Speed is limited to 20 km per hour.
- Parking is forbidden, except where there are visual markings like different surface colors, a letter P or traffic signs allowing parking.
Netherlands
[edit]Under Article 44 of the Dutch traffic code, motorised traffic in awoonerfor "recreation area" is restricted to 15 km/h in the Netherlands.[12]
Notes
[edit]- ^"Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee - Agenda - Wednesday, January 11, 2012"(PDF).Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.11 January 2012. p. 2. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on September 10, 2013.Retrieved25 August2013.
- ^"Woonerf".Oxford Dictionaries.Oxford University Press. Archived fromthe originalon July 22, 2013.Retrieved2015-07-13.
- ^MacPhee, Ian."Is Vancouver ready for pedestrian priority streets?".re:place Magazine.Retrieved29 March2012.
- ^abLydon, Mike; Garcia, Anthony (2015).Tactical urbanism: short-term action for long-term change.Urban planning & design. Washington, DC: Island Press. p. 28.ISBN978-1-61091-526-7.
- ^ab"Final evaluation by imma-san".Shared Space. 2006.
- ^Home Zones briefing sheet, Robert Huxford, Proceedings, Institution of Civil Engineers, Transport, 135, 45-46, February, 1999
- ^Sterke woonerfwijken: voorkomen is beter dan herstructureren,archived fromthe originalon 2014-09-03
- ^The woonerfgoed network
- ^"Belgian traffic regulation, article 2.32".Retrieved1 June2021.
- ^"Belgian traffic regulation, art. 22bis".Retrieved1 June2021.
- ^Road Traffic Signs and Regulations in the NetherlandsMinisterie van Verkeer en Waterstaat, June 2006 Accessed 7 February 2007.
Further reading
[edit]- Linda Baker (May 2004),"Why don't we do it in the road? A new school of traffic design says we should get rid of stop signs and red lights and let cars, bikes and people mingle together. It sounds insane, but it works.",Salon.com,archived fromthe originalon 2012-01-27
- Paul Hockenos (April 26, 2013),"Where 'Share the Road' Is Taken Literally",The New York Times
- Paul Chasan,Traffic-Restricted Streets: Woonerfs and Transit Malls(PDF),University of Washington/Open Space Seattle 2100
- John Greenfield (June 30, 2014),"Woonerf in the West Suburbs Offers a Sneak Peek at Uptown Streetscapes",Streetsblog Chicago,OpenPlans(about aBatavia, Illinois,woonerf)
External links
[edit]- Case Studies: Woonerfat California Active Transportation Safety Information Pages (UC Berkeley)
- What in the World is a Woonerf?(Canin Associates)