Woonerful woonerful

Woonerfs are complete streets taken to the next level. They are designed as space to be shared by all people, however they're getting around. The idea originated in the Netherlands in the 1960s, albeit like many urbanist innovations they are actually trying to re-create street usage of the pre-automotive age. You can see some Dutch examples here and here. Common in the Netherlands, they have spread to the United Kingdom, and have popped up here and there in other countries as well. The first in the United States appears to have been Commerce Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts (Hockenos 2013).

Woonerfs are featured throughout most of the Wharf, a development in southwest DC by PN Hoffman and Madison Marquette, that lies between Maine Avenue and the Washington Channel, and between 7^th and 10^th streets. The development caters mostly to tourists, with several hotels taking advantage of the proximity to the river. The shops are predominantly franchised boutique-y…

Shops on District Square

…with more of the same coming.

Wharf, Phase 2: Coming attractions

The latest Southwester notes that a rare locally-owned business, Jenny's Asian Fusion, has lost their lease at the Wharf (Vaughn et al. 2018). Along my way I did find a hardware store (attached to a bike shop and café)…

District Hardware and Bike, 730 Maine Av SW

…as well as a CVS pharmacy and an optometrist, so residents of the new condos won't have to go elsewhere for all of their daily needs. There is also the headquarters of the American Psychiatric Association. 

American Psychiatric Association, 800 Maine Av SW

 I bought coffee at a chain bakery…

Milk Bar, 49 District Square

Milk Bar is in the center of things

…which I took to some functionally smooth rocks in the street’s median.

District Square

District Square

 What makes these streets woonerfs is the absence of curbs.

Pearl Street SW

800 block of Water Street SW

It is usually pretty clear, though, where the cars, and the pedestrians, are supposed to go.

crossing 7th St SW

Sometimes, though, streets were blocked off, either temporarily...

District Square

…or permanently.

700 block of Water Street

Pedestrians walked comfortably on the streets when cars weren’t operating...

700 block of Wharf Street

…and sometimes when they were

Wharf Street approaching 7th Street

As I observed the street during the noon hour, usually people in the street gave precedence to cars; incidentally, most motor vehicles were taxis. Once I heard a taxi driver honk at a man crossing the street, but usually people gave way without confrontation. (These men gave way after being alerted to the presence of the taxi by a bystander.)

700 block of Wharf Street

We bystanders were treated to some jogging Marines, chanting taunts at the Air Force.

700 block of Wharf Street

Getting to the Wharf seems fairly easy (see Cranor 2018). The walk from the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station was short but complex due to the need to get across I-395. There is a free shuttle from the Metro station.

Wharf stop is on Maine Av at Sutton Square

The Wharf itself remains privately owned and managed. I saw two police officers, but I think they were off-duty. There was a constant presence of security guards.

Private management may explain the complete absence of street people, which in DC is immediately remarkable; the plenteous availability of public restrooms...

…and a labor protest

Even so there are a lot of areas open to the general public, including parks and piers.

Recreation Pier and splash pad with a view of construction across Maine Av

the Wharf as seen from the Wharf Torch at the end of Recreation Pier

The terrace in front of the Hyatt was available for public use as well. At least they didn’t chase me away. I had a good view of the channel, or if I shifted position, Wharf Street

Download the app. Because banners are so 2013.

Woonerfs are being considered for other places in Washington: a short block of Q Street in the NoMa area is in the works, and may be used on Delaware Avenue near Union Station as part of that area's thorough overhaul ("Union Station" 2016). At least a couple years ago, Seattle was considering the design for East John Street near Summit Slope Park (Packer 2015); Alexandria was talking woonerf for Union Street in Old Town in 2012 (Pope 2012, Beinert 2012), but must have decided against it.

Everyone I spoke to at The Wharf--OK, I'm lying about this part--asked the same question: How would this approach work in Cedar Rapids, say on 12th Avenue SE?

12th Ave SE gets the Better Block treatment in April
(Source: CVNB District Facebook page)

I could see some functionality in New Bohemia, as well as Czech Village, where multiple small shops and arts venues generate a lot of pedestrian traffic. Newly-constructed 16th Avenue could take the auto pressure off 12th Avenue in New Bohemia. Unfortunately, that's the very avenue that goes through the heart of Czech Village, where 12th serves as the bypass. I'm not sure I see auto drivers, who remain kings in Cedar Rapids, serptentining their ways through this stretch. There's also the complication of having to go through the political process to undo existing development, rather than a private developer creating their own space.

Sources:
Jon Banister, "What's a Woonerf? The Streetscape Design That's Sweeping DC," Bisnow, 18 July 2016
Payton Chung, "How Are the Wharf's Shared Spaces Working Out?" Greater Greater Washington, 28 November 2017
Shannon Vaughn, Christy Vaughn, Julia Cole, Katelynd Mahoney Andersdon, Jason Kopp and Jan Callender, "Op-Ed: Forty Years Should Mean Something," Southwester, May 2018, 1, 11

See Also:
Tara Lerman, "The D.C. Waterfront: At a Glance," Bisnow, 8 May 2018
B.A. Morelli, "Could a Ped Mall Work in Czech Village?" Cedar Rapids Gazette, 21 April 2018