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: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxFu6rUH9cY

#cycling #bike #commuting

Sponsor Two Wheel Gear: My favourite bike bags for commuters and urban cyclists https://www.twowheelgear.com/

Buy my book Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling: https://rmbooks.com/book/frostbike/

I don’t really do proper product reviews, but here are some products that I’ve tried on this channel that I like. (Of course you don’t need anything fancy to ride a bike, other than a bike, but these are Amazon affiliate links, and I get paid a small commission if you buy them 😉)

• Here's the winter bike I'm riding these days: https://bit.ly/2PhqUqF • Cliq Smart Bike Light (nice rear brake light): https://amzn.to/39lfqwo • RedShift Acrlight Smart LED Pedals (clever lights for your pedals): https://amzn.to/3NL1Npg • Aftershokz Titanium bone-conducting headphones (if you want to listen while you ride): https://amzn.to/3e9Tofa • JBL CLip 4 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker (for your party-pace group rides): https://amzn.to/3pcMLPm • Crane Bicycle Bell (the ding is sublime): https://amzn.to/3OwfZCu • Ibex Merino Wool clothing (good for summer and winter): https://bit.ly/3xXkbEd • Bicycle Cargo Net (why did it take so long for me to buy one of these?): https://amzn.to/31s1Ovu • Vaude Cover II Rain Poncho (for higher-end, try Cleverhood or People’s Poncho): https://amzn.to/3jLkift • Kryptonite U-Lock (your bike is going to get stolen eventually, sigh, but at least make it hard): https://amzn.to/3tPWcGi • Peak Design phone case (the one I use, paired with the Peak Design phone mount): https://amzn.to/3HGM0FU

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