Tuesday, March 27, 2018

CAN CARS AND PEDESTRIANS SAFELY SHARE A MIAMI STREET?

WYNWOOD WILL SOON FIND OUT



A rendering of a concept for a woonerf in a new pedestrian friendly zoning district in eastern Hialeah.  PlusUrbia

Can the woonerf concept stand up to the belligerent carelessness of so many Miami motorists? Experts say the devil is in the design details, but woonerfs have proven themselves all over the world, and are increasingly popping up in U.S. cities.


It does require care and alertness by all users, but that’s why the woonerf works, they say. Beyond some basic principles, their design can be tailored to local circumstances.

“There’s no real guidelines for what a woonerf needs to be, so you can be creative,” said Juan Mullerat, principal at Coconut Grove-based urban design firm PlusUrbia, which first came up with the idea for a Wynwood woonerf when it drew up a new zoning plan for the burgeoning hipster district.

 “The idea is slow cars down and provide an equal use of the street.”

--Excerpt from Miami Herald story by Andres Viglucci.

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