Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Amsterdam

Streetfilms in Holland: Experience the Joy of The Woonerf

Life on a Dutch play street is simply better. Photo: Clarence Eckerson Jr.

You know how it is: You send Clarence Eckerson Jr. to Holland and you get more than a t-shirt.

You get a clarion call for change.

If you follow Streetfilms on Twitter, you've seen lots of snippets of Eckerson's experience in the cycling capital of the world. But his full-length mini-doc, "Life on a Dutch Woonerf," focuses on one of the simplest ways to make urban life better: reduce driving speeds on side streets to walking speed. As a result, drivers won't bother using those roads (except for a delivery or drop off) and everyone else can enjoy their neighborhood.

Woonerf is the Dutch word for "living street" — and you'll see why below.

Some New Yorkers — especially those who live in Gracie Mansion — might say, "Well, you could never do that in New York City." But the Dutch model is eminently replicable on the thousands of New York City neighborhood roadways that no drivers need for through travel. Just put down a few benches, narrow the roadway, eliminate the curb and add a zig zag pattern and, viola, livability.

"They do things that make it nice for people to live here, instead of the cars," one resident tells Eckerson on camera.

Eckerson explained on his Streetfilms site how he came to find this particular woonerf:

When I posted I was headed to The Netherlands once again to visit, as usual I got a lot of recommendations on what to look at. One of the first people to contact me was Rebecca Albrecht, who moved there with her husband Paul from Boston about three years ago and couldn't be more delighted to live there.

She mentioned she lived on a Dutch play street (woonerf) and when I looked at the photos she had snapped from the window of her bed and breakfast, my first thought was: maybe this would be an opportunity to get a unique angle from residents since I had ridden on so many similar streets in Amsterdam and in Copenhagen, but didn't want to be too nosy.

When I arrived the street was full of neighbors and children and they wanted to talk to me about their lovely street. But this is not something exceptional as over 2 million Dutch people live on play/living streets. So take a gander but be warned: you will want the same thing for your block.

Play and ride and just be human on a Dutch woonerf. Photo: Clarence Eckerson Jr.
Play and ride and just be human on a Dutch woonerf. Photo: Clarence Eckerson Jr.
Play and ride and just be human on a Dutch woonerf. Photo: Clarence Eckerson Jr.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

No Accident: Red Hook Pool Closure Saga Stems from Adams Administration ‘Underinvestment’

An Olympic-size pool in Red Hook has sat empty since the summer’s start, leaving residents in the area out to dry and pissed off in blistering, record high heat.

July 25, 2025

The Perfect Beast: Even Google’s AI Thinks Streets Are for Cars

Artificial intelligence is completely naturally addicted to promoting cars.

July 25, 2025

Friday Video: Krakow is a Polish Pedestrian Paradise

Check out how car drivers simply stop for pedestrians — and not just pedestrians in a crosswalk, but also pedestrians about to enter a crosswalk or even just thinking about maybe entering a crosswalk.

July 25, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Putting the ‘Con’ in ConEd Edition

Con Edison has blocked the Vernon Boulevard bike lane for more than a week now. Plus other news.

July 25, 2025

Fixing Canal Street Means Rethinking the Manhattan Bridge Itself: Experts

Canal Street needs a fix, but the city must go straight to the source.

July 24, 2025

Lower East Side Panel Joins Growing Chorus Against Tisch’s E-Bike Criminalization

Another New York neighborhood is calling for an end to the “disproportionate consequences” that e-bike users face under the NYPD’s sweeping crackdown.

July 24, 2025
See all posts