30 October 2006 American Planning Association 31

By Bruce Appleyard, A I C P , and Lindsey Cox A bo v e

Wall Street in and

left:

downtown Asheville, B en

North Carolina, H amilton-B (left) incorporates

some of the traffic aillie;

calming techniques text

abo

associated with home v e

b y

zones: cobblestone-like B r uce

pavement, bollards, A ppleyar

Home lampposts, and parking. Slow vehicle d speeds encourage people to walk in the street. Above: elements The result is a loss of opportunities for neigh- of a woonerf in borhood residents to build stronger and safer Denmark, one of the communities. in the European countries Now consider the alternative: We can design that has adopted streets that incorporate traffic calming devices the concept. Right: and elements such as street furni- At Woonerf residents at ture, play areas, and landscaping. We can modify an alfresco birthday our existing street standards and vehicle codes to party in Copenhagen. create neighborhood streets that work for people, den ur B as well as cars, and that allow the negotiations an D Creating livable between residents and drivers to take place on streets in the U.S. a more equal footing. The model The shared street known as a woonerf is a model “We should raiseZone our sights for the moment. What could for the kind of street we are talking about. The ven after 25 years, these words remind hood residential streets should be livability. concept originated in the late 1960s in the us that streets, which constitute most The street is a place where drivers, pedestri- Dutch of Delft. Local residents who were a residential street—a street on which our children are of the public space in our , are for ans, and bicyclists engage in informal negoti- upset about cut-through traffic in their neigh- people, not just cars. Streets are our most ations over who’s in charge. This split-second borhood tore up their brick streets and replaced brought up, adults live, and old people spend their last accessible public spaces. They should be choreography is strongly influenced by how the them with traffic-slowing serpentine paths. days—what could such a street be like?” places where neighbors socialize and build street stage is set, both physically and visually. These shared streets came to be known as Ecommunity, and where young and old On streets engineered for fast-moving cars— woonerfs, translated literally as “residential , Livable Streets, 1981 alike engage in activities that strengthen with their wide lanes, traffic signals, and strip- yards,” making the point that neighborhood their physical and creative health. Thus, ing—the noise, exhaust fumes, and threat of in- streets serve homes rather than cars. (They have the guiding design principle for neighbor- jury force pedestrians and bicyclists to retreat. also been described as “living yards,” “streets for 32 Planning October 2006 American Planning Association 33 living,” “living streets,” and, in Great Britain, as to speed. Instead, drivers and pedestrians are be integrated on one shared surface. The key to character, will make it clear to drivers that the “home zones,” which can also refer to a network placed on the same level, and drivers are directed lowering speed is to change the “feel” of the street home zone is a special place. Adding spaces for of neighborhood streets.) by bollards, street furniture, trees, and varied and the attitude of the drivers. That requires a both formal and informal public art, whether The The newest phase in the evolution of this pavement treatment. multipronged approach, combining engineering, temporary (chalk drawings and sand castles) or transformation concept is the “shared spaces” movement that • Providing parking, but with intermittent education, and enforcement. permanent (murals and sculptures), will add to of a Dutch is emerging across Europe. Variously referred spacing so the woonerf does not feel like a Step one is to design the street so that drivers the atmosphere. street; drawings to as “legible streets” or even “naked streets,” parking lot. think of themselves as guests. That means making Robin Moore and Susan Goltsman, principals from Donald these streets have been stripped of the signs and The woonerf concept was a new and use of such traffic calming measures as signage, of Moore Iacofano Goltsman and internationally Appleyard’s markings that make them a conduit for speeding powerful idea that legally changed the rules road narrowing, speed tables, varied pavement, renowned experts in designing learning environ- Livable Streets. traffic. They are designed as integral extensions of traffic behavior within a protected area. It and striping. Britain’s home zone design guidelines ments for children, put it this way: “Neighbor- of the surrounding community. gives residents stronger legal rights over their recommend that such speed control measures be Before hoods need to be designed for children, and Woonerfs were officially endorsed by the streetscape by placing the burden of proof on spaced no farther apart than 30 meters, or 100 since streets make up most of the open space in Dutch government in 1976, when a set of traf- the driver in the event of an accident. feet. (The Dutch recommend a distance of about a neighborhood, it is logical that they be places fic regulations for the shared street concept was All in all, these measures give residents a 50 meters.) The guidelines also recommend that for play and community gathering.” Children adopted. The idea spread to other countries, greater sense of comfort. A 2003 study by public forward visibility should not “significantly” exceed thrive in spaces “that are diverse in character, including Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Britain, health consultant Peter Jacobsen showed that about 12 meters (40 feet). with different kinds of surfaces, adequate space Japan, and Israel. Today, the Netherlands has having more people participate in the street As part of this process, we must ask our- for street games, and places where they can build about 6,500 versions of the woonerf. environment actually improves safety. He selves, “How wide do our streets need to be to things such as sandboxes.” That description Donald Appleyard’s Livable Streets gave U.S. found that relative collision rates declined as the accommodate cars, trucks, and fire engines?” would apply to home zones as well. audiences the first handbook on traffic calming numbers of pedestrians and cyclists increased, In Europe, the recommended travel lane width Generally, traffic should be discouraged. and the then-new Dutch woonerf program. suggesting that drivers exercise more care when ranges from nine to 10.5 feet. Signage and full or partial barriers can block Appleyard viewed the woonerf as the “latest they expect people to be using the street. This Nor are narrower streets necessarily unsafe. entrance to the home zone street, or prohibit stage in the evolution of the protected neigh- suggests that there is a “tipping point” that Engineer Peter Swift looked at the relationship turns. On a larger level, neighborhood street

borhood,” helping to fulfill the promise of what we need to consider when redesigning a street between the physical characteristics of streets eets

tr networks can be designed to avoid channeling S

our residential streets could be. environment for community reengagement. and the number of accidents. He found that the able traffic onto the street and to provide adequate iv L In the late 1990s, Great Britain imported typical 48-foot-wide street had a crash rate that travelways for all users, including cyclists. Ap- om After r Definition the woonerf concept in the form of a “home was 18 times higher than that of a 24-foot-wide F propriate paving (colored or stamped pavement, What exactly is a woonerf? It’s a shared street zone” initiative. The idea was supported by two street. for instance) can also encourage pedestrian use that incorporates a range of modes and activi- nonprofit organizations, Transport 2000 and the To enhance the home zone’s sense of identity as A woonerf in Delft, the Dutch city where the concept originated. of the street. ties. It allows for moving traffic and parking but Children’s Play Council. Early results showed a neighborhood space, local officials can remove Homes should be designed to have a strong

primarily is designed to encourage neighbors to an increase in the number of children playing in the conventional straight stretches of pavement, onment relationship to the home zone street. One way nvir E socialize and to permit children to play safely the street in over half of the home zone projects. allowing instead for bends in the travel lane. They to accomplish that is through the orientation of rban

in front of their homes. Traffic speed is slowed Some home zones also have seen falling crime can also install physical barriers such as bollards U

rooms, doors, and windows. Residents should the by both physical and visual measures. rates and rising levels of community activity in to help reduce car speed. The resulting “outdoor have direct views of the outdoor living room for

The Dutch initially set the woonerf traffic the form of neighborhood litter pickup, festivals, living rooms” can be furnished with benches, from their indoor living room, enhancing the nstitute I speed at about 10 miles an hour, the pace of a and street parties. plantings, and play equipment. sense of safety and community. walking horse. (Most people walk at about two There are subtle differences between home There is general agreement that home zones On-street parking helps to calm traffic. How- nternational I to four miles per hour.) A key traffic-slowing zones and woonerfs. Woonerfs in the Nether- should accommodate two-way traffic (one-way ever, an effort should be made to avoid turning design strategy is to narrow travel lanes while lands emphasize creating a sense of place, whereas would encourage speeding). It is important, the street into a parking lot by breaking up the Schepel,

emphasizing the street as a residential place the British version focuses more on easing traffic however, to limit passing to appropriate places. en

tev parking areas with plantings, street furniture, rather than as a channel for traffic. and reducing accidents. Britain recommends a minimum traffic lane of S play equipment, and so on. According to Donald Appleyard, the design 9.9 feet with passing bays of about 15 feet every Steven Schepel, the former manager of the philosophy of the woonerf is to create a kind Importing an idea 130 feet. If the passing bays are widened to 20 National Sustainable Safety Program in the of “gestalt” message that the streets belong to Will shared streets or home zones work in the U.S., feet, they can double as staging areas for emer- Dutch Ministry of Transport, adds these rec- the residents, and that the car is only one of the where vehicles, driving habits, neighborhoods, gency responders. ommendations: users. Drivers are made to feel that it is natural and homes are much different than in Europe? • Do not hide playgrounds. Expose them in to drive slowly by such physical and visual We believe they will. As housing and land prices Learning the rules order to show that this is “a street for living.” measures as these: rise in the U.S., the residential street is becoming Education is key to the success of a home zone. • Draw attention to places where people and • Creating clear and distinct gateways that cel- increasingly valuable as a location for both physical That means driver education courses and testing, cars might collide: crosswalks, bicycle routes, ebrate and enhance the neighborhood’s identity, and social activity. That makes the woonerf or as well as promotional campaigns to raise driv- and building entrances. announcing to drivers that they are guests in a home zone a desirable design model. ers’ awareness of how they should modify their • Provide attractive seating for adults who neighborhood space. To apply the concept in a far different en- behavior when they enter the home zone. When are watching young children. • Adding curves to the travel lane to break up vironment, however, we need a new strategy, it comes to enforcement, it may be necessary to • Offer secure bicycle parking, which does the driver’s sight line. one that is suitable for high-density urban rewrite driver liability laws to make it clear that not take up much space. One car occupies the • Using features that slow traffic while serving neighborhoods, low-density , and even pedestrians and cyclists have priority. place of 12 bicycles. the needs of residents: benches, play equipment, rural areas. Another important goal is to emphasize • Create tasteful signs. Schepel observes, landscaping. The design goal is to encourage motorists the home zone’s function as public space for “You wouldn’t like to have these things in • Eliminating continuous curbs, thus re- to drive with caution and at low speeds so that children and families. Creating a series of out- your living room, so try to minimize them in moving the channel that encourages drivers pedestrian activity and vehicular movement may door living rooms, each with its own unique number and impact.” 34 Planning October 2006 American Planning Association 35

• Take advantage of the multifunctional the center. Home zone streets may be linked to shared use, have also been developed in the Neth- aspects of various elements. As Donald Apple- streets with faster traffic, but it is then essential erlands, where they are known as “winkelerfs” yard wrote, “a tree is an obstacle, but it is also to design distinct gateways with signs, special (“winkel” means shopping or commerce). part of the greenery; a small hill can force cars paving, changes in elevation, and so on. Two moderate-income housing projects were to the side, but is also an object for children’s An additional caveat is to win the support of a developed in Boulder, Colorado, in the 1980s play; a pillar in front of your door prevents strong majority of residents. Philadelphia’s Play based on the woonerf concept. One project, cars from passing too close, but it also marks Street program, an early version of a home zone, the Cottages, consists of 40 owner-occupied your entrance, and it is easy to put your bike required at least 75 percent resident approval. condominiums. The second, Bridgewalk, has up against it.” 123 rental units. In each case, a single loop street Finally, consider emergency response. A Home-grown zones curves through the complex, around bollards major requirement for creating effective home In many older cities in the U.S., primarily on the and landscaping, to create a space to be shared zones is to ensure that emergency vehicles can East Coast, one finds narrow streets and alleys by pedestrians, bicyclists, and motor vehicles. safely enter and exit, and maneuver through that effectively function as home zones. Cambridge, Massachusetts, plans to convert the street. According to retired fire chief Paul Since 1949, New York City has designated two streets near Harvard University into shared Davis, a 9.5-foot-wide fire truck (including “play streets” around public schools that lack streets over the course of the next year. mirrors and equipment) requires a 35-foot adequate yard or auditorium space. Philadelphia At the national level, the home zone concept turning radius. Involve emergency respond- had over 500 designated play streets in 2003. has been recognized by the Federal Highway ers early and develop collaborative solutions. These streets are closed mainly during the sum- Administration in its Pedestrian Facilities Users Discuss the possibility of using smaller, more mer. Removable barriers and signs bar all traffic Guide as a design tool to “provide safety, mobility maneuverable vehicles. during certain hours of the day. In contrast, home and enhanced livability for street segments and Other guidelines: Prohibit parking 20 to 35 zones do not bar all traffic; they blend car, bike, neighborhoods.” The next step at the federal level feet from an intersection to allow fire trucks to and pedestrian traffic at all times. is to provide specific guidelines for developing S tev

en make the turn. Design tight corners and curb In Asheville, North Carolina, a downtown home zones.

Schepel, extensions so that fire trucks can maneuver over commercial street called Wall Street incorporates We are currently working with the California

I nternational them if necessary. Create 20-foot emergency some of the traffic calming techniques associated Center for Physical Activity and the State and vehicle staging areas every 100 feet. Establish with home zones: cobblestone-like pavement, Local Injury Control Section of the California

I

nstitute extra-large no-parking zones or curb extensions bollards, lampposts, and parking. Slow vehicle Department of Health Services to provide adjacent to fire hydrants. Make home zones speeds encourage people to walk in the street. technical assistance to communities interested in

for

the part of an interconnected network of streets Such shopping streets, designed for slow-speed developing their own version of a home zone.

U rban (no cul-de-sacs). One potential pilot neighborhood is in San

E nvir Also consider providing alley access, put- Ysidro, just north of the Mexican border, where onment ting electric lines underground, using reflec- R e s o u r c e s people, vehicles, and the front doors of homes tive street signs, and placing fire hydrants at already share the street space. With modest intersections. Anniversary. This year marks the 25th an- enhancements—special paving, street furniture, The Delft woonerfs emphasize the street as a residential place rather than a channel for traffic. Driving speed is limited to about 10 miles an hour. Below: A niversary of the 1981 publication of Donald traffic calming measures, and play areas—these neighborhood street in southeast Portland, Oregon, has been closed for a block party. Streets in this part of the city are generally narrow and interconnected. Choose your streets Appleyard’s Livable Streets. Bruce Appleyard streets and alleys could provide a model for Aar Home zones should ideally be on streets that is currently working on a new, expanded developing home zones in other neighborhoods on

Health and Safety T ar do not carry much traffic—about 100 vehicles edition. “Throughout my life,” he says, “I throughout the U.S. fman, during the afternoon peak hour when the like- have learned how important the book was The European examples show us that

Giving children the chance to engage in physical www

.y lihood is highest for conflict between vehicles to so many people. It dramatically changed woonerfs and home zones are effective tools for

activity in front of their homes helps them to ourbodypo develop physical coordination and cognitive and and people, including children playing in the their view of the design of our streets and establishing livable streets—environments that

social skills. Such accessible public space further w street. neighborhoods.” facilitate social interaction and physical activity. er contributes to the health, welfare, and livability .org The home zone streets should also be Earlier in Planning. “Livable Streets Revis- Home zones encourage cars to travel slowly, of the neighborhood in the following ways: relatively short. Following street connectiv- ited,” by Bruce Appleyard, October 2002. safely, and quietly, providing a comfortable • Slow traffic makes physical activity safer for ity guidelines established by University of “Planning Safe Routes to School,” May environment where neighbors feel encouraged the most vulnerable, the young and the old. A California, Davis professor Susan Handy and 2003. to meet and talk, and where children are free to pedestrian struck by a vehicle going 30 miles an others, we recommend a length of 300 to 500 Conference. “A Conversation About Liv- play and explore. The emphasis of these shared hour is eight times as likely to be killed as one feet. The British suggest that the home zone able Streets” (S572), with Bruce Appleyard streets is on the safety and quality of life of the hit at 20 miles per hour. street network should have a quarter-mile and Reid Ewing. Order a tape of this 2005 people who live in a neighborhood—a worthy • Increasing opportunities for physical activity radius, the standard distance most pedestrians APA National Conference session at www. goal, we believe. helps to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases are willing to walk. planning.org. It is time for us to create a national model to such as diabetes and hypertension. In addition, How fast can drivers go? Five to 10 miles per Quote. “My father’s research showed how a spread the idea to all of our urban and suburban lowering traffic volume cleans the air and helps hour on a home zone street would be ideal. But livable street can weave a community together communities. since most drivers in the U.S. are used to higher while an unlivable street can rip it apart.” to reduce respiratory ailments. Bruce Appleyard is an urban designer and transportation • Crime rates have been shown to go down speeds, a stepped approach to lowering speeds in Donald Appleyard was killed by a speeding planner with Moore Iacofano Goltsman in Portland, when the sense of community is enhanced. At the a zone will probably be necessary. Following Brit- drunk driver in 1982, a year after the publica- Oregon. Lindsey Cox is a student at the Harvard School same time, property values increase. The Dutch ish guidelines, the outer streets in a home zone tion of Livable Streets. of and former project coordinator for the government found that property values were network could start with a 20-mile-per-hour More. See the online version of this article California Center for Physical Activity, a program of the California Department of Health Services. 10 to 15 percent higher for woonerf residents. speed limit, with lower speeds on streets nearer for additional resources.