Controversy over a word killed a Dutch-style shared street, but another community embraced the idea

An idea to turn an overlooked back alley in my city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada into a Dutch-style “woonerf,“ or shared street, turned toxic a number of years ago, and the idea died under a cloud of anger and NIMBYism, like so many innovative ideas in North American cities. But that wasn’t the end of the woonerf story. 0:00 Intro 0:45 The project that must not be named 3:34 The place where a woonerf survived 5:48 Can woonerfs thrive in North America? Thanks to George at the YouTube channel @UrbanCyclingInstitute for the footage of a Dutch woonerf. Check out his great video on woonerfs: #cycling #bike #commuting Sponsor Two Wheel Gear: My favourite bike bags for commuters and urban cyclists Buy my book Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling: I don’t really do proper product reviews, but here are some products that I’v