ABSTRACT
This chapter explores woonerven (sing. woonerf), literally ‘living streets’. These are a Dutch response to the post war challenge posed by rising car ownership. Woonerven reassert the street as a setting for life and minimize the intrusion of vehicles. They do this through design that simultaneously improves amenity and ensures vehicles are not allowed to dominate, and through legal measures that affirm their distinct status. Although more costly than conventional streetscapes, they have been demonstrated to cultivate community life and the chapter concludes that in appropriate circumstances they can make a significant contribution to urban life.
