Woonerf-derful.

Muttered phrases like “mental speed bumps,” “pavement patterning,” and “colored and stamped concrete finishes” at a recent Eau Claire Plan Commission meeting have got us excited. The topic surrounding this “streetscaping” terminology is a proposed woonerf (ooh, I’ve got goosebumps) on Thorp Drive (the short riverfront roadway on the side of the Water Street bridge opposite Owen Park). For those not familiar with Dutch roadway design, this essentially (and literally) translates to a “residential yard”-type environment friendly to pedestrians and cyclists as well as motorists. Woonerfs are all over Europse, and have several features intended to slow traffic, including a visible “gateway” marking the entrance, no curbs, a curved roadway with varied widths, and landscape features like rocks and vegetation. Whether it goes through or not (cost will certainly be a concern), we’re personally delighted that this kind of thinking (and phraseology) is happening in our city development sector. Especially during a time when we’re looking to redesign major roadways like Hastings Way and Barstow Street.