DEFINITION
Woonerf is the Dutch name for a "living street" in which the needs of car drivers are secondary to the needs of users of the street as a whole. It is a "shared space" designed to be used by pedestrians, playing children, bicyclists, and low-speed motor vehicles, becoming a public place for people instead of single-purpose conduits for automobiles. In a woonerf, vehicles may not impede pedestrians, who in turn may not unreasonably hinder the progress of drivers.

AKA
Home Zone, Living Yard, Living Street, Silent Street, Shared Street, Shared Space, DIY Streets

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

• Changes in priority. Drivers have to give way to pedestrians and cyclists, and are responsible for any injuries they cause to them (drivers are automatically at fault).
• Very low speed limits. Top speeds of 10 mph (30 Km/h) or less.
  
• Narrow streets, often curved or circular and one-way.
  
• An emphasis on the change in status, through changes in pavement/color, signing, traffic calming, seating and other street furniture and plants. In some streets, parking is rearranged to make better use of space, especially if the residents are part of a 'street fleet' or community car sharing scheme.
• Residents need to be in favor, and must be involved in the design stages.

ILLUSTRATION


Woonerf in Rijswijk, The Netherlands



http://flickr.com/photos/joelmann/755254658/


via flickr Mike "Machine" rodnroll

CASE STUDIES
links to separate pages documenting specific places or projects where this element is on display

VIDEO

Shared Space

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
http://www.students.bucknell.edu/projects/trafficcalming/History/Int'l.html
WorldChanging.com article about 'Shared Space' by Erica C. Barnett
Streetless in Seattle, article in Metropolis
Dylan Passmore "Evolving Streets: Contemporary Approaches to Road Design"
Traffic Calming in the Netherlands
Nice woonerf article from Land+Living
Designing for Disabilities in Home Zones (England)