Originally Posted by
Roody
I wonder what it would be like in the opposite case-- if no cars were allowed on the main streets and boulevards, but they were allowed on the smaller streets?
An interesting twist on this is the way many Italian cities seem to have dealt with the automobile in their historic centers. You will see cars, but they do not dominate the environment. Since streets are very narrow and usually filled with pedestrians, cars often have to creep along at < 10mph. This makes a big difference in the livability of these areas. Cars are not roaring up and down the streets all night.
I believe the Dutch have formally implemented this type of approach for cars. I think the term is "Woonerf"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woonerf
A Woonerf (plural woonerfs or woonerven) in the Netherlands and Flanders is a street where pedestrians and cyclists have legal priority over motorists. In 1999 the Netherlands had over 6000 Woonerven.[1] Under Article 44 of the Dutch traffic code, motorised traffic in a woonerf or "recreation area" is restricted to walking pace.[2] In Germany, similar zones are termed Verkehrsberuhigter Bereich. Under German traffic law motorists in a Verkehrsberuhigter Bereich are restricted to a maximum speed of 7 km/h, pedestrians, including children, may use the entire street and children are permitted to play in the street.[3]