Larch Street, bounded by Hickory and Balsam Streets, serves as a corridor between Wilfrid Laurier University’s Northdale Science Research Centre and the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics. A high traffic pedestrian area, Larch Street had exceeded its expected life and was considerably degraded. The one-block stretch was identified in the Northdale Neighbourhood Streetscape Master Plan to be reconstructed using a Woonerf street typology (a first for the City of Waterloo), following significant residential redevelopment in recent years. The City envisioned the Woonerf street to be a “shared street” where all users of the right-of-way are accounted for in a setting with enhanced landscape attributes.
The Larch Street Woonerf features a curvy-curbless street configuration, which allows for increased streetscaping, including trees and seating areas, while accommodating various modes of transportation. The curvy design was preferred as it made driving more comfortable, thereby reducing vehicular speeds. Decorative features include pedestrian scale lighting, street trees such as Kentucky Coffeetree, Chinkapin Oak, and Homestead Elm, bike racks supplied and installed by City, as well as tables and benches in custom shapes. The road portion is composed of two tones of concrete as well as randomly placed multi-coloured pavers in a running pattern to denote that the road is more than a thoroughfare for cars. By prioritizing pedestrians over vehicles, the project brings an innovative urban design to life that keeps pedestrians and cyclists safe and encourages active transportation by naturally reducing vehicle operating speeds.
