Dutch Professor ir. Niek de Boer was the inventor of the term ‘woonerf’. He introduced this urban planning concept during the development of residential areas in the city of Emmen where he was involved in at the end of the sixties.
Niek de Boer was best known for his concept 'Bloemkoolwijk' ("cauliflower neighborhood")
Cauliflower neighborhoods that were built since 1970 are characterized by winding paths and courtyards. The residential areas are made up of neighborhoods, following the structure of a cauliflower, also called the "tree structure". The streets and residential areas form separate sub-neighbourhoods which, like cauliflower florets, are "planted" on the main roads and generally have only one point of access. These sub-neighbourhoods are not connected with each other by roads and therefore usually consist of dead-end streets. This concept ensures low-traffic residential areas.
De Boer passed away on 19 January 2016 at the age of 91. Until his retirement he was Professor Urban Planning at the Delft technical University where he inspired many generations of students.
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