The Dutch have pioneered the winkelerf (shopping yard), a variation on the woonerf (residential zone). It is a commercial street designed as a shared space. In Quebec, the concept of winkelerf has been adapted and applied successfully in cultural neighbourhoods, for example on Wellington Sud Street, in Sherbrooke, where a shared space has been created in the local entertainment district. It is a shared space and it has been designed to accommodate both people and cars. This section of Wellington street is one-way for car traffic and it has been paved with permeable paving stones. Removable bollards and planters are also in place to calm traffic, and the sheer number of pedestrians, especially later in the evening, keeps the cars moving slowly and carefully.

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City of Sherbrooke