Something unexpected is coming to Kenmore Avenue this winter: a woonerf. First implemented in the Netherlands and Belgium, a woonerf is a flat “living street” without curbs or sidewalks, a shared space that prioritizes pedestrian and cyclist traffic while allowing slow moving vehicles to access the street.

Kenmore Avenue, between Belden and Fullerton Avenues, will be replaced by a flat, cobblestone or brick surface lined with benches, trees and other green spaces. Traffic will be restricted to one southbound lane, and the pathway will gently curve to encourage drivers to move cautiously through this “shared zone.”

Architect Jospeh Antunovich of Antunovich Associates, which was selected to construct the Dutch-style street, says that the project will be “marvelous” and somewhere where “people can come out, sit and stay awhile.”

Antunovich said the university initially proposed to close and abandon the street altogether in favor of a green area, but the idea was withdrawn after community members raised concerns. Many feared that the closure of Kenmore to southbound traffic would lead to overloading on Sheffield and other streets, the architect said.

“The (woonerf) will utilize period light fixtures and a variety of paving materials. We are taking a ‘green thumb’ approach, using permeable pavers and other environmentally-friendly techniques,” Antunovich said.

According to Antunovich, Alderman Waguespack suggested the woonerf as an alternative to a grassy quadrangle, after observing them on a trip to the Netherlands. The compromise “unites the (Lincoln Park) campus” and affords students and faculty “safe passage” across Kenmore, two stated goals of DePaul’s 2009 master plan.

Construction for the woonerf will be entirely funded by DePaul, but maintenance of the pathway will be shared with the city.

A community meeting will be held Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Student Center to discuss the Kenmore Woonerf.