Woonerf.

Design the streets for people, not cars. Woonerf, a “living yard.”

Residents in Delft, a Dutch city, took action to the lack of response by city leaders to slow down traffic on their neighborhood streets. In the middle of the night, they tore up portions of the pavement so the cars had to maneuver around the obstructions at a slow speed. This tactical urban effort returned the street to the residents for playing, walking, and biking.

In 1976 the Dutch Parliament embraced Woonerf and passed regulations for street design standards to support traffic-calming practices.

Could your street be your neighborhood’s living room?