There was an article in the Tribune yesterday about the first woonerf in the Midwest. Neither Shu nor I had heard the word before. Apparently it is a Dutch word, meaning "living street." Here is a quote from the article:
quote:
The Dutch call this kind of communal street a woonerf (pronounced VONE-erf), which translates roughly to "living street." Such streets, also known as shared streets or complete streets, have been commonplace in Europe for decades. Now they're popping up around the U.S., challenging the order in which the car is king.
Have any of you heard of them or seen them? Apparently they're common in Europe and the UK. In the UK they're defined as home streets?
It's an insidious concept aimed at transforming modern society back to an age where horse and buggy are king. Gradually, after all modern conveniences are outlawed, we will suddenly realize we have become Amish.
Every now and then I se something in the news about this sort of street but I've never seen one and don't know how successful they are. I know that The Netherlands is particularly keen.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
I used to date an Amish girl but had to break up -- no electricity.
This gave me the inspiration for posting the following on OEDILF:
Just today, I was lost, reminiscing 'Bout an Amish girl I once tried kissing. That night in the dark We just lacked a spark Since, with her, electricity's missing.
